The effects of aging start slowly, and often it’s all the bending and lifting in the kitchen when you start feeling some physical limitations.
If you’re exploring aging-in-place kitchen solutions – modifying an existing kitchen or deciding what to incorporate in a renovation – Lowe’s Livable Home (https://www.lowes.com/l/shop/accessible-home-resources-and-guides), a collaboration between AARP and Lowe’s, gives you a good place to start.
Though the site focuses heavily on products, those products can make life easier. They include:
- Pull-down cabinet inserts to make reaching items in upper cabinets easier.
- Pull-out cabinet on lower cabinets to make pots, pans, and baking dishes more accessible.
- Slide-out cabinet organizers
- Microwaves placed on the counter or in a lower-level cabinet
- Built-ins like pull-out cutting boards
- Pull-down, touchless faucets
Another source, https://ageinplace.com/at-home/aging-in-place-home-ideas/kitchen/, covers the elements that make for a safe, accessible kitchen, including:
- Motorized adjustable sinks that can be raised and lowered to accommodate each user
- Appliances with universal design principles
- Cooktops with indicators, showing when burners are on or still hot
- Task, track, or under-cabinet lighting to brighten work surfaces