My grandmother lived to be 103 and until just shy of her 100th
birthday she lived in a regular apartment. Most don't maintain that level of
independence at that age. In fact, the need for easier to use devices,
specialized equipment and changes to the home is more prevalent than people may
realize.
Many successful families are planning to age in place but are not anticipating
the need for accessibility modifications to their homes. A new complimentary Accessibility Consultation service
from Chubb includes advice from a team of experts in the U.S. and Canada
trained in universal design. This team can advise you and your clients on how
to update the home while maintaining value and beauty.
Here are a few tips to consider when it comes to universal
design and accessibility:
Circulation path
Install hard-surface flooring. Avoid throw rugs in the circulation path or tack
them down to make them secure. Arrange furniture to allow for turning space and
circulation.
Provide support
Install grab bars around toilet and shower. Provide a shower bench (portable or
built-in models are available). Install a toilet riser or raised-height toilet.
Entry
Avoid or eliminate stairs and install ramps or lifts if necessary. Consider
the slope/grade from the parking area to the entry. Provide a level threshold
or one that does not stand up more than .5 inches from the floor.
Operational controls
Choose door hardware, faucets, and appliances that can be easily operated with
one hand and limited hand function. Avoid any that require pinching or turning.
Doors
Widen doorways to at least 32 inches clear. Consider sliding or pocket doors
where applicable. Consider removing closet doors for ease of access.
Ease of access
Make things easily reachable by installing pullout shelves in cabinets,
installing a hand-held shower, providing electrical outlets within reach, and
placing commonly used items in easy-to-reach places. Provide a lower counter
for seated users. Install appliances with front or side controls. Replace
bathtubs with low-threshold showers.
Why Chubb Private Risk Services?
Expertise:
PRS has knowledge and expertise to properly service successful individuals and
families and they were the first company to specialize in this area more than
30 years ago.
Client Service:
Chubb PRS is always looking for ways to do more and say yes. Client Services,
Billing Services and Chubb's Customer Center all scored above 4.8 out of 5 in a
2017 Chubb satisfaction survey.
Claims:
Industry-leading claims payment reputation, long-standing culture handling
claims with empathy, fairness and speed.
• 96.5% "High Satisfaction" handling rate for several years running.
• 2400 in-house claims professionals across three service centers in North America.
• During the 2017 CAT period, the Chubb Claims call centers maintained average 3 second answer speed on approx. 62,000 calls.
The
Chubb Masterpiece Program is available to registered members in all states
except auto in HI, KY, MA, NC, SC and VA as those are being placed in the
legacy-ACE system. Additionally, NJ auto and NC home business are being written
in the Chubb Non-Masterpiece environment. Learn more by logging into www.bigimarkets.com
and clicking on "Affluent Program - New Business."
AARP has also created a free HomeFit Guide which goes from
room-to-room.