Automatic doors and wide corridors. Elevators with audio information. Safe bathrooms, kitchens tailored to the needs of older people, and even telecare systems that allow seniors to contact medical services. These are just some of the features of buildings or residences adapted to the needs (and also the limitations) of the elder. According to experts, senior-oriented construction will become increasingly popular, particularly as society ages. Robert Majkowski, the Chairman of the DOM Mortgage Fund, reminds us that silver architecture is a good direction, but it’s equally important to adapt existing homes to seniors’ needs because not everyone wants to buy a new home and move to the unknown.
As many as 68% of experts surveyed by consulting firm ThinkCo believe that by 2030, senior-orientated residences will become popular. Silver construction will thus refer not only to the construction of new apartments (and even entire estates) adapted to seniors’ needs but also nursing homes or rental properties for retirees.
Seniors Have Different Needs
The new trend doesn’t surprise, especially since the Polish society is aging. According to statistics, one in five residents in Poland is over 65. The Institute foresees that in 2030 the 60+ population will reach 10.8 million, and by 2050 it will reach 13.7 million, accounting for about 40% of society. Also, Eurostat data suggests that though the entire European Union is aging, Poland is one of the fastest-aging countries in the EU. The old-age dependency ratio increased by 5.9 percentage points in the EU over the past decade, but in Poland, it increased by 9.6%. Low pensions and decreasing replacement rates are not the only problems for aging societies. Another challenge is the lack of senior-friendly residences which are becoming more necessary as the population ages.
Silver Construction Can Be Applied in Multiple Areas
Silver construction seems to be the answer to these problems, which is still in its infancy in Poland. Not only does it consider specially designed apartments with facilities such as wide doors, non-slip floors, and accessible bathrooms, but it also looks at entire estates, and even communities built around such places – gathering seniors, offering them various activities, support and medical care. Senior construction should also be applied to rental properties and nursing homes. Today in Poland, the first multi-generational estates are being built, and developers, planning new investments, are starting to pay attention to the needs of the elderly.
How to Adapt an Old Apartment?
What about those who don’t want to move? Robert Majkowski, the Chairman of the DOM Mortgage Fund, believes that senior-oriented construction is the song of the future, which is needed. However, he also highlights the current housing conditions for the seniors and encourages changes in properties inhabited by older individuals, which can be implemented “here and now”.
According to the PolSenior research, retirees’ apartments are poorly adapted to their needs. Up to 24% of retirees don’t have running hot water, and only 49% have a balcony or terrace. Respondents admit that they lack many amenities, and one of the causes is costs. Only 4.5% have handles and rails installed in their bathrooms, 2.3% have non-slip floors, and 4.7% have home exercise and rehabilitation devices. It turns out that over 40% of seniors encounter barriers to leaving home. The most common are high and steep stairs (52.6%), lack of an elevator (47.8%), and lack of a ramp for wheelchair users (30.3%).
“We need to remember that maintaining and paying for the apartment are significant costs for seniors, not to mention renovations or expenses related to replacing installation or windows. Abroad, reverse mortgages support retirees in such situations. Money from this service can be used, among other things, for renovation, and additionally, rent payments are on the side of the mortgage fund or service provider,” says Robert Majkowski, Chairman of the DOM Mortgage Fund.
What are the Costs?
How much does it cost to adapt an apartment to the needs and constraints of an older person? It depends on the scope of work. Renovating fixtures, replacing tiles with non-slip ones, or redoing the plumbing can cost around PLN 6000. It all depends on the materials used and the standard of finish. According to Apartment Renovations, the average cost of renovating a bathroom in 2023 is around PLN 3000-5000 per square meter. But the works can be done cheaper and you don’t have to replace every element.
However, the bathroom is not everything. Sometimes it’s necessary to replace a bed for the elder (the costs of specialized, rehabilitative beds range from PLN 900-3500) or you may need to remodel the kitchen and corridor for better functionality. Another topic is installing a telecare system for the senior, which will monitor his/her wellbeing and other parameters (sometimes a safety band with a GPS signal and a fall sensor is enough), or it might be worth installing a home monitoring system with smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. To fully adapt a senior’s apartment to their changing needs, you may need to spend around PLN 10-20.000.
– The money from the reverse mortgage, paid at the start of signing the contract, can help in such a renovation. Especially since you can get 10,000 PLN and equally well 100,000 PLN. Everything depends on the property’s value, the age and sex of the retiree – summarizes Robert Majkowski from the DOM Mortgage Fund.
[1] Rzeczpospolita Nieruchomości, “PRS attractive for seniors”, 18.08.2023, text by Aneta Gawrońska
[2] https://www.prawo.pl/kadry/ile-osob-starszych-bedzie-mieszkac-w-polsce-w-2050-r-i-jaka,512580.html
[3] https://obserwatorgospodarczy.pl/2023/02/22/polska-jednym-z-najszybciej-starzejacych-sie-spoleczenstw-w-ue/
[4] PolSenior2 Study, Gdańsk Medical University, Gdańsk 2021. Socio-economic Part, Chapter 4: “Housing Conditions”, Zofia Szweda-Lewandowska, p. 899
[5] https://monterbudowy.pl/ile-kosztuje-wykonczenie-lazienki/
