Maybe you don’t need grab bars today. Or a stair lift. Or a space to turn around with a walker. But the day might come when you do. And if you haven’t planned ahead, the fix is expensive and disruptive. Aging in place design is not about bracing for the worst. Think about it as building a home that flexes with you. That means fewer future renovations, fewer daily frustrations, and more time living comfortably in the place you already love.

If aging in place is important to you, here’s what to think about early, long before age or injury forces your hand.

Wondering if you should renovate or buy in Calgary? Start here.

What Is Aging in Place Design?

Aging in place design is the practice of planning, building, or renovating a home so you can live there safely and comfortably for as long as possible. It focuses on access, safety, and adaptability through features that become crucial if your mobility, vision, or strength ever changes.

At its core, aging in place design helps your home grow with you, so you don’t have to leave it behind.

5 Aging in Place Design Tips

You don’t need a full renovation to make your home future-ready. Start with these five areas that impact daily comfort, movement, and long-term independence the most.

1. Start With Access

The first roadblock in most homes? Getting around.

Skip narrow hallways. Skip split levels. If you’re house hunting, look for layouts that support main floor living, ideally with at least one bedroom and a full bathroom on the ground level. If you’re staying put and your current home doesn’t offer that, ask yourself if it can.

Building or renovating? Go with 36-inch doorways and wider halls. Frame in walls with backing for grab bars, or leave room to do so. Rough in space for a future lift or elevator, even if you don’t install it now. These details don’t cost an arm and a leg upfront to plan now, but they are very expensive to retrofit later.

Learn what accessible home modifications can make your home more comfortable.

2. Rethink the Kitchen

The kitchen gets used more than any room, but it becomes one of the hardest to navigate if your mobility, strength, or balance takes a hit.

Start with the stuff you touch every day. Skip knobs. Go for pull handles that don’t need a tight grip. Install lever faucets that you can nudge with an elbow. If you’re already updating the layout, drop one section of counter or leave knee space underneath to accommodate a stool or wheelchair later.

What about the cupboards? Ditch ‘em. Deep lower cabinets are a pain to dig through now, never mind in 20 years. Go for pull-out drawers with full extension slides. Add organizers. Add lighting. Keep everything where you can see it and reach it so you’re not climbing or crouching.

3. Make the Bathroom Safer

With slippery floors, tight corners, and awkward angles, it’s no wonder that the bathroom is where most injuries happen.

Start with the shower. Opt for a flat roll-in design with proper drainage. Add a bench or keep space open for a chair or walker. Even if you’re skipping the grab bars for now, block the walls so you can bolt them in later without ripping anything out. Floating vanities, comfort-height toilets, and slip-resistant flooring are also very much worth considering.

Remember to leave lots of space to move. That means enough room for a second person to help if needed. Caregiver, partner, adult child, whoever. Tight bathrooms don’t age well.

4. Build a Bedroom That Moves With You

You’re not just sleeping here. You’re getting dressed, grabbing clothes, walking to the bathroom at 2 a.m. The layout HAS to work. Period.

Keep the primary bedroom on the main floor and close to a bathroom if possible. And don’t cram the furniture in. Leave space on both sides of the bed so a walker, wheelchair, or lift can get through. That also means thinking ahead on outlets, lighting, and even closet doors. Speaking of which, bi-folds and sliders are easier than bulky swing doors if your reach becomes limited.

5. Keep Laundry Easy

Lugging a basket down the stairs becomes less of an annoying inconvenience and more of a hazard when balance or strength starts to slip. That’s why, aging in place design or not, we always recommend keeping laundry on the main floor.

Choose front-loaders on pedestals to cut down on bending. Leave enough space around the machines to roll up with a walker or stool if needed. While you’re at it, add a folding surface at hip height and swap overhead cabinets for slide-out shelves.

Plan Now, Stay Independent Later

Aging in place design protects your autonomy by designing for how life actually works. It helps you stay where you want, how you want, without compromise.

Add the support now. Build in the access now. Rough in the grab bars, the wider doorways, and the room to turn around. When you hit the point where you need them, you won’t be scrambling to make your home livable because it already will be.

If you’re planning a build, starting a reno, or eyeing a new place, bring aging in place design into the conversation early. Start now, while changes are easy. The sooner you plan, the longer you stay.

Looking for aging in place design in Calgary or elsewhere in Canada? MMID designs future-ready spaces that still feel like home. Contact our team about your next project or explore our eDesign services for out-of-province spaces.