The AAHSA House: Extreme Home Makeover To the Power of 2

Sharon Sullivan talks with designers of the AAHSA House

Yesterday, I learned what it takes to design, build, dismantle and move a house.  The answer: dramatic attention to detail.

Several of us traveled to Atlanta to visit the AAHSA House, which is under construction for our Annual Meeting and Exposition in Chicago, Nov. 8-11.  The house is just incredible to see.  It has large, spacious rooms with elements to help an elder or person with disabilities live comfortably and independently.  It was incredible to watch the construction workers in a vast warehouse attach custom-made modular walls in minutes to create the guest or caregiver’s bedroom while we toured.  As we walked, we learned where the different technologies will be displayed throughout the house.

But what struck me so strongly as I walked around was the intersection of bold vision and tiny detail.  Margaret Wanca-Daniels, our director of sales, has been working daily if not hourly with THW Design, the architects, and Freeman, the convention construction company, to coordinate delivery of cabinets, furniture, bedding, televisions, lighting and flooring that various vendors will exhibit in the house.

Eric Krull and his team from THW have revised plans numerous times to accommodate the need for the house to be portable for shipping, yet always reflect the vision of a place that integrates universal design, sustainability and a commitment to facilitating a meaningful existence for individuals who might live in a house like this.

I am sure that AAHSA members attending the Annual Meeting will be awed by the sheer scope and beauty of the AAHSA House.  But I hope they will also notice the enormous number of details that can make such a difference for an elder.  Most of the technology and furnishings that will be in the AAHSA House are currently available.  They can be integrated into a residential facility like a nursing home or retirement community.

The AAHSA House represents how aging services providers, architects, business firms and AAHSA create the future of aging services everyday. It is not too late to exhibit and it is certainly not too late to register to attend.