Decoration diary: KOBA’s “home model” for the elderly

When talking about design layout, KOBA mentioned "home mode". What exactly is "home mode"? The editor doesn't quite understand. Fortunately, as an IT programmer, he had many years of design problems that made him feel uncomfortable if he didn't write it down. So, we can finally understand in detail what "home mode" is.

Since I have been designing for so many months, I have gained a lot of experience, so I will write it down here gradually before construction starts. The first thing you consider when getting a job is the user case, you know!

As a home decoration, I will name it Home Mode first, so that it is easier to understand. To put it bluntly, as every member of the family, we should consider the flow of his life during the decoration design stage so that he can be comfortable, warm and comfortable during the living process.

As the saying goes, "Having an elder in the family is like having a treasure." However, many of us have become "like having a guarantee." We must remember that we will all grow old, and no one wants to become the nanny at home. So one of the home models I want to write about is the elderly. Because 24 hours a day, children go to school and adults go to work, the elderly spend the longest time in this home, so the feelings of the elderly should be put first.

The elderly’s home style in the morning

The elderly generally get up early and like to take walks and do morning exercises. It is best to arrange the elderly’s room closer to the door. If it is cloudy and rainy, it is inconvenient for the elderly to go out, so it is best for the elderly room to have a south-facing balcony to facilitate activities. Today's young people are relatively lazy, and many housework are done by the elderly, so it is best to place the laundry counter and other places farther away from the bedroom.

The morning mode can be divided into several sub-modes:

1. Wake-up mode

Route: Get up (turn on the light when it gets dark) - bathroom ( Wash your face, brush your teeth, go to the toilet) [Lights need to be turned on after dark]

Requirements: Whether the route is clear, whether the distance is reasonable, and whether these tasks will affect other people. Elderly people are most afraid of stepping on stairs, especially the height difference that is not easy to notice.

2. Early cleaning mode: mop the floor, cook and wash clothes

Route: room - kitchen - laundry table - mop pool

Requirement: whether the route is clear , whether the distance is reasonable, and whether these tasks will affect other people.

3. Morning exercise mode

Route: room - entrance - entrance, room - terrace or balcony

Requirements: whether the route is clear and the distance is reasonable , whether these efforts will affect others. If it is cloudy and rainy at home, can the balcony meet the needs of exercise?

Home patterns for the elderly during the day

Generally the elderly will go exercise, and some will also bring some weapons (swords, Tai Chi, fans, etc.), so they can be placed in the shoe cabinet at the door It would be best to place a weapons rack nearby. The elderly generally watch TV and surf the Internet, so whether the location of the TV is in line with the viewing habits of the elderly. The elderly usually take a nap, so whether the position of the sofa is convenient for taking a nap, and whether there is a place for leisure in the Internet room. It's cloudy and rainy and I can't go out, and I don't want to watch TV. So is there a place at home where I can enjoy the scenery? The elderly usually buy food and cook, so the location of change, keys, and reusable bags needs to be convenient for movement between the kitchen and the door. If there are children at home, the elderly usually pick up and drop off the children. Do battery car keys, umbrellas, and rain boots have a place in the shoe cabinet? Perhaps the elderly will also be sick or unwell, or even paralyzed at home. We should also prepare a warm harbor.

Then the daytime mode can be divided into several sub-modes:

1. Entry and exit mode: You may enter the door multiple times a day, so are the different initial entry methods clearly presented? come out?

Route: go out to exercise - go out to buy groceries - go out to pick up the children - go downstairs to buy daily necessities

Requirements: whether the route is clear and the distance is reasonable.

These routes and corresponding placement of items need to be carefully considered. One drawer is enough for keys, coin purse, shopping bags, etc. But items such as swords and umbrellas require special space.

2. Leisure mode: mainly watching TV, surfing the Internet, reading books and newspapers.

Routes: from various areas to the sofa, from various areas to the study room, from various areas to the computer desk

Requirements: Whether the route is clear and the distance is reasonable.

First of all, the placement of the TV remote control, and then whether the lights, air conditioning, etc. can be controlled while sitting on the sofa. Is it possible to read books and newspapers in the Internet access location, and what is the lighting like? Can I take a rest when I feel tired? Whether there is a newspaper subscription, and the corresponding placement of current newspapers and expired newspapers.

3. Daze mode

Sitting in front of the window and looking at the scenery is a daze mode that every thoughtful person likes, and our elderly friends are no exception. When designing, you should carefully observe the surrounding environment of the house.

Route: Go to the daze location from each area.

Requirements: Whether the route is clear and the distance is reasonable. Which location and angle has the most beautiful scenery? Is it suitable for a small bar, a leisure chair or a hanging chair? But please note that this cannot be a balcony facing west.

4. Fixed mode: If the elderly are bedridden due to old age or illness.

Requirements: Try to choose a south-facing room with good ventilation and lighting. The best bed is a canopy bed that can be changed into sitting, semi-lying, or lying down positions. There should be plenty of disposable supplies in the room for easy use when caring for patients.

Home patterns of the elderly at night

Old people generally wake up earlier and go to bed earlier, and they sleep very lightly and are not suitable for deep sleep. Even old couples don't want to touch each other when the elderly are sleeping. Older people are generally more likely to wake up at night. The elderly move more slowly, especially when they get up at night, and are not used to the dark environment. Then the night mode can be divided into several sub-modes:

1. Bed mode

The elderly go to bed early, and the young people may still be watching TV and playing on the computer. How to ensure that the elderly go to bed early? sleep?

Route: Go to the elderly room from various areas.

Requirements: Whether the route is clear and the distance is reasonable. Will the sound from other rooms affect the elderly's rest? Is the sound insulation effect of the elderly room good enough? Are there stairs or steps along the way, or are there dimly lit locations? Is the switch reasonable?

2. Night-time mode: Relatively speaking, the number of elderly people getting up at night increases

Route: from the elderly room to the bathroom

Requirements: Is the route clear? Is the distance reasonable? Will the sound from other rooms affect the elderly's rest? Is the distance between the elderly room and the bathroom too tortuous? Can the switch have an advance amount and is it dual-controlled?

Whether the elderly getting up at night will affect the people in other rooms.

3. Sleeping mode: This is something that most people ignore. So far I haven't found one that would consider this.

Requirements: The elderly sleep lightly and should sleep in a large bed. Young people, a bed as big as paint and glue is a waste. Therefore, in order to meet the quality of life of the elderly, the bed in the elderly room must be 1.8 meters, and of course it can be larger.

This is my analysis of the living patterns of the elderly in my family. All the above analysis result pages were finally applied to the design of the house. An old person in a family is like a treasure. Let’s cherish our “old treasure”.