The Sowib working group pleads for a variant on the energy label

1 hour ago
General

Anyone who wants to buy a house can see at a glance how energy-efficient the house is on Funda. A label has been designed for this. The Working Together Growing group of Boxtel (Sowib) wants a similar label, but which specifies how suitable an accommodation is for seniors.

There is not yet such a clear etiquette that everyone can understand, Jac Nouwens knows that. He is a member of Sowib. Nouwens: We plead for a document which immediately specifies to what extent a house lends itself to the elderly. The well-known energy label indicates with a letter how the insulation and the like is in a house and what improvements are possible. Nouwens: ,,You can rely on such a system based on three criteria: accessibility, permeability and adequacy of care. An apartment can be spacious and fully equipped, if it is on the first or second floor and there is no lift, then it is not a good choice for less mobile older people.

If the accessibility is good, then a significant obstacle has been overcome. But if the hallway is too narrow for a walker, there are high thresholds everywhere, and a wheelchair can’t turn, there’s no way for the elderly in the house to get through. Nouwens: ,,And finally, the interior also counts. Do people have to shower in the bath or do they have a comfortable and safe walk in shower with room for a chair? If there are grab bars next to the toilet, are they big enough? Is there room for a ground floor bedroom and bathroom or for a stair lift? Are the sink and stove always at the right height? A full audit is needed to determine how convenient and safe a home is for seniors.

VIEW OF THE ACCOMMODATION

Nouwens does not know if the planned label will see the light of day. However, the Sowib recommends it to the municipality of Boxtel in the perspective of the new vision of the habitat on which it is working. It will be ready this year, if all goes as planned. ,,If Boxtel wants to get into our idea, I think it would be better in a broader context. There is too much work for the municipality.

The working group wants such a mark of quality because older people who are looking for (different) housing can immediately see which house suits them or what remains to be done. It also provides homeowners with insight into what it takes to stay in their own tiny home, even if day-to-day things no longer run smoothly and mistakes set in. Nouwens: “People over 65 would do well to check in time whether they will still step over the edge of the bathtub to wash in twenty years, when age is accompanied by deficiencies. We are not content to come to a rest home, care is increasingly done at home. This trend will only continue.

De Boxtelaar suspects that new constructions specifically for the elderly cannot meet housing needs. “Too little and too slowly for this target group is being built here. In addition, not all seniors want to move. Think about it: their homes are often nearly paid off, when they move out they are mortgaged again and they often lose out on space. Without forgetting the social aspect. “We need to focus primarily on existing homes and make them suitable for care wherever possible.”