I struggle with labels. At times they’re just what we need, but at others, they are barriers to understanding. I often ask clients about the “Aging in Place” label, and what that means to them. It’s never the same answer, but most recognize that it serves a purpose, albeit it hardly sounds inspiring. Their response speaks to their pragmatic view of the world and the experience gained only by time.
“Aging in Place” and “kitchen remodeling” or “bathroom renovation” may not be immediately obvious, until you’ve spent a few minutes in a room with some Universal Design features and suddenly whatever label was used quickly dissolves away and a big smile washes over their face. It plays directly to the whole labeling play, and says why “Aging in Place” seems to be ok with folks.
Patrick Roden has a delightful post on the whole labeling game. Enjoy!