10 Questions for . . . Michael Thomas, Aging in Place Expert

In this installment of 10 Questions for . . . , Senior Editor Daniel DiClerico speaks with Michael Thomas, FASID, CAPS, an interior designer and a coauthor of Residential Design for Aging In Place. Here, Thomas (shown below) talks about the past and future of the aging-in-place movement and offers tips for making your home more accessible in only a weekend.

How do you define aging-in-place design?
Aging in place is about creating homes that are safe and secure but, more important, it's about creating homes that will allow someone to remain as independent as they possibly can regardless of their abilities.

What's the history behind the aging-in-place movement?
It goes all the way back to Franklin Roosevelt, who most people today know had polio. But at the time very few people realized he had the crippling disease. Around 1938, Roosevelt desired a retreat he could escape to from the spotlight of the White House, a smaller home where he could, in his own words, become the independent person he longed to be. As the recorded architect on the building, which he would call Top Cottage, FDR was able to specify things like zero thresholds between the doorways and lower windows, which allowed him to gaze outdoors from his wheelchair. FDR might not have invented aging in place, but he was among the first to apply its principles.

Seventy years later, why is aging in place just reaching the mainstream?
From FDR, fast-forward to the end of World War II, when returning soldiers started having families. Baby boomers were the largest group of Americans born in a particular time, 76 million between 1946 and 1964. Younger boomers are now starting to turn 50, and older ones are into theirs sixties. This generation is living healthier lives and is beginning to contemplate where they're going to be for the rest of their years and decades. On top of that many of them are taking care of an aging parent themselves and don't necessarily want to think about alternatives such as assisted-living centers and nursing homes. So between the baby boomers and their elders, we have somewhere in the order of 100 million people in need of aging-in-place-environments. The tipping point is still four or five years out, but it's coming on fast.

Is it a challenge getting clients to think about getting old?
Yes, but the way we get them to accept it is by making aging in place as transparent as possible. It's often just a matter of perspective. For example, level thresholds (or a "curbless shower," like the one shown) facilitate access and they also just plain look good. So emphasizing the aesthetic value is very persuasive. Or take wider doorways: They enhance accessibility, also make a space look larger, and make it easier to get in and out with a suitcase, a baby carriage, or a wheelchair.

What other key principles can be applied throughout a home?
It starts with nonslip floors. Whether the surface is tile or stone, it needs a nonslip finish, because as we age, the potential to do real damage when we fall goes way up. In the kitchen, having multiple counter heights creates the ability to stand or sit. Raising the dishwasher up off the floor about 12 or 18 inches means someone with back problems or arthritis doesn't have to bend over to load the dishes. In the bathroom, lowering the counter and cabinets will allow someone to shave or apply make-up while in a seated position.

Taller toilets are another key. Low-rise toilets, whose seats are 15 to 16 inches above the floor, became popular in the mid-90s, especially at the higher end. But using them puts more stress on the body, because your rear actually ends up lower than your knees. So-called comfort-height toilets, which are 17 to 19 inches off the ground, are much more preferable. If you're stuck with low-rise toilets, there are aftermarket products—basically little blocks that raise the toilet seat—but they compromise the transparency I spoke of earlier because they're so conspicuous.

What are some quick projects that can be done in a weekend?
It's a good long list—anything that creates the sense that we're still in control of our lives.
* Change doorknobs to lever-style handles and swap out knobs for handles on kitchen and bathroom cabinets.
* Add more light in a space, not only the general room illumination but also task lighting.
* Remove nonessential doors, such as those in hallways. If you have doors that have to stay but you want to create a wider accessibility, you can buy offset hinges that will allow the door to move into room and create better accessibility.
* Take up area rugs from the floors, like the welcome mat at the entryway. Unless they're perfectly flat, these rugs create a stumbling hazard.
* Eliminate one or two pieces of furniture. If someone in the home is getting to point where they need a walker, having more open space will permit them to move more comfortably.
* Choose chairs with arms that extend to the edge of the seat are easier to lift yourself up out of.
* Use remote controls for more than TVs. They can also operate blinds and window coverings and turn on and off lights.

Shopping for a mattress remains business as usual

Many ads for innerspring mattresses are appropriately dreamy. Attractive people are shown sleeping or lounging in their beds—and, of course, smiling. The advertising come-ons tell shoppers to “Have a good night’s sleep on us” or promise that when it comes to mattress shopping, “It’s all about You!”

So buying a mattress should be a pleasant experience, right? (Watch our video report, right.)

But it isn’t, say many of our readers, who find buying a mattress frustrating and tell us that they are not sure they’re getting a fair deal. A big contributing factor to these problems, as we noted in “Why Consumer Reports Doesn't Rate Specific Models of Mattresses,” is that the model names of the top mattress brands differ from one store to the next, so there’s no way to truly compare models. What’s more, even for mattresses that retailers claim are similar, significant differences exist in quilting, padding, and springs, according to our experts.

We thought some of the nightmares would end when the spokesman for a major U.S. mattress manufacturer—let’s call it Brand S—told us in January that his company was going to revolutionize mattress shopping. “We recognize that there’s confusion. We’re changing that. Retailers now require that they be able to name their own mattress,” said the spokesman of the change, which was slated to go into effect this spring.

The manufacturer was planning to introduce the same branding from store to store: A queen-size Brand S ExtraDreamy firm mattress you’d test out at store A would be exactly the same (except, perhaps, for price) at store B and store C. “When consumers walk into the store, they’ll see a [Brand S] mattress at one retailer and the same at another—it will have the same [Brand S] branding,” promised the spokesman.

The manufacturer would recommend that all its retailers use the Brand S mattress name on their store signs but, according to the spokesman, retailers could still call the mattresses whatever they wanted on in-store signage.

This move could shake up the industry, so we called several major mattress retailers for comment. Two didn’t call back after repeated tries, and the spokesman for a third wouldn’t allow his comments to be published.

But our phone did ring just a day later. It was the spokesman who’d informed us of his company’s radical plan. “[The company] is trying to change this, but if a retailer says they won’t take the mattress—they don’t want it—then that’s their decision,” he said. The manufacturer wouldn’t be changing its branding policy.

We asked him what the company’s decision would mean for mattress shoppers. “For the consumer, nothing has changed,” he explained.

That’s unfortunate. But we’re working on ways to help you shop for mattresses, so stay tuned. In the meantime, read “How to Buy a Mattress Without Losing Sleep” (available to Consumer Reports subscribers) for expert advice on selecting the mattress that’s right for you and analyzing prices.—Kimberly Janeway

Americans working more, sleeping less

Psssssst. You there? Good. You haven’t nodded off yet, so keep reading.

Over the last several decades, Americans have sleeping less and less. Late-night movies, the Web, pastimes, and romance aren’t keeping you awake until all hours. What’s getting in the way of a healthy dose of Zs is a four-letter word: W-O-R-K.

A new nationwide telephone poll of 1,000 working adult Americans by the National Sleep Foundation found that each day Americans work on average 9½ hours at their job and—courtesy of the 24/7/365 connectedness that technology provides—nearly another hour from home. Something’s got to go, and for many, it’s sleep.

You need 7 to 9 hours of sleep each day, say the experts, but on average you’re getting only six hours, 40 minutes each weekday. That lack of sleep can take its toll on the job:
• About one-third of poll respondents said they’ve become very sleepy or fallen asleep at work.
• Not surprisingly, some said that their productivity was lower than expected.
• Forty percent of those polled said they’ve been impatient with coworkers at least a few times a month. (Beware of your sleepyhead colleagues.)

Outside the office, not getting enough sleep can be dangerous. More than one-third polled said they’ve nodded off or fallen asleep while driving. Yet the majority surveyed said they’re very likely to ignore their sleepiness and push themselves to keep going. That’s a bad combination: Each year in the United States, drowsy drivers cause an estimated 40,000 injuries and 1,550 deaths, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. 

With National Sleep Awareness Week (March 3-9) in full swing, now’s the time to remedy your bad sleeping ways. You and your children (especially teenagers) should use the following expert strategies to establish healthy sleep patterns:

1. Be consistent. Try to go to sleep and wake up at about the same time every day, including weekends.

2. Log your sleep. Keep track of how much sleep you need to feel refreshed. Adults need 7 to 9 hours every day. Most adolescents require about 9 hours of sleep, some a little more or less.

3. See the light on light. Light triggers waking and sleeping signals to the brain. Avoid light exposure at night, but turn on the lights or get outdoors as soon as possible when you wake up in the morning.

4. Avoid those nasty habits. Stay away from caffeine and nicotine after lunch. These stimulants can disrupt sleep later that evening.

5. Relax. Do soothing activities before bed and minimize or avoid activities that stimulate you within an hour of hitting the sack, such as heavy reading, working or studying, and computer games.

6. Skip the all-nighters. Staying up all night working on a presentation or cramming for an exam can drain brainpower and throw sleep patterns into chaos.

For more information on getting a good night’s sleep, check out the National Sleep Foundation’s Healthy Sleep Tips. If your teenage children aren’t sleeping enough, read what our experts have said about why teens fall asleep in class.—Kimberly Janeway

Essential information: Remember, daylight-saving time returns this Sunday morning, March 9. And if it’s your mattress that’s keeping you up at night, use our expert advice to buy a mattress without losing sleep (available to subscribers).

Why Consumer Reports doesn't rate specific models of mattresses

Among people who bought a mattress in the last two years, one-third can't recall the brand they purchased, according to Synovate, a market-research company.

That weak brand identity might be a result of the confusing nature of mattress shopping. Unlike refrigerators, cars, or other big-ticket items with specific models that you can easily compare at different stores and dealers, mattress are sold in a way that might give you nightmares.

The model names from the top mattress brands such as Sealy, Serta, Simmons, and others change from store to store, so there's no way to truly compare models. What's more, our research has revealed that even for mattresses that retailers claim are similar, significant differences exist in important characteristics, including quilting, padding, and springs, all of which affect comfort and firmness.

Given this lack of consistency—Brand A's ultra-premium firm queen-size mattress sold at one national retail chain will have a model name and composition that are different from Brand A's ultra-premium firm queen-size mattress sold at another retailer—it's impossible for us to be able to make an apple-to-apples comparison that will be useful to you. And that's why we don't publish Ratings of specific models of mattresses, as we do for the hundreds of products we test each year.

Despite that, we have a lot of useful information about mattresses. Read "How to Buy a Mattress Without Losing Sleep" for expert advice on choosing the right mattress, analyzing prices, understanding how mattresses are made, and for tips on getting the ever-elusive good night's sleep. Be on the lookout for more in-depth coverage of mattresses in the next year.

"It's difficult to compare mattresses unless you cut them open," says Eugene Schayer, who worked in the mattress industry for 46 years, including stints in the marketing department of two major mattress makers. "The retailers demand exclusivity of the cover and label. They don't want their product shopped." Even the Better Sleep Council, which is paid for by the mattress industry, says that buying a bed can be confusing because "it's not easy to see what's inside."

Our testers do delve inside to analyze mattresses. For one mattress report, we dissected mattresses to compare the construction, including in-depth analysis of padding, quilting, and springs of mattresses that retailers told us were similar. We found that when retailers claimed they were selling mattresses similar to those found in other stores, the mattresses often differed. We've also found in past mattress studies that except for the cheapest models, all mattresses are likely to be sturdy.

In our most recent study, we looked at alternatives to conventional innerspring mattress from Duxiana, Select Comfort, and Tempur-Pedic. Couples slept at home on the three different mattresses for a month at a time, while about five dozen panelists tried them out in our lab as they would when shopping.

Based on the findings of our panel tests, we concluded there's no best mattress for everyone—sleep comfort is very personal. So take time to find the mattress that's the most comfortable to you.—Kimberly Janeway

Essential information: Learn how to shop for a new bed and make your mattress last.

Safety alert for air mattresses

Air mattresses come in handy for a kids' sleepover and especially during the holidays when you have guests staying with you. But as the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reported this week, air mattresses can pose a safety risk for infants.

Read this alert from the Consumer Reports Safety blog for more information.

Q&A: How often should I buy a new mattress?

My mattress is getting on in years. In fact, Bill Clinton was in his first term as president when I last bought a new one. Is it time for me to replace my mattress?

You’ve probably logged more than 30,000 hours in your bed, and your mattress has likely  become less comfortable and less supportive. But there’s no set formula for determining when you need to replace a mattress. It might be time to buy one if:
• You regularly wake up tired or achy—you make Oscar the Grouch seem as cheerful as Mr. Rogers.
• You tend to sleep better away from home, than in your own bed. Are you planning unnecessary business trips or looking for any reason to go on a weekend getaway?
• Your mattress looks or feels saggy or lumpy—it needs go on the Abs Diet.
• You’re over age 40 and your mattress is five to seven years old. Remember, your body tolerates less pressure as it ages. As if getting older weren’t tough enough . . .

A mattress can be an expensive investment—we’ve tested models that cost in excess of $4,000—but if you treat your new one properly, it could easily last 10 years. Our advice:
• Don’t let your kids use your bed as a trampoline.
• Rotate your mattress. If you have a single-sided mattress (you sleep on only one side), rotate the mattress from end to end—that is, move the mattress 180 degrees. The foot of the mattress is now at the head, and vice versa.
    If you have a double-sided mattress, rotate it as above, then turn it over so the bottom is now on top.
    Perform these steps every two weeks for the first three months you have your new mattress, then once every two months thereafter. You’ll find illustrated instructions on a number of different Web sites.
• Use a bed frame that has a center support.

Essential information: See “How to buy a mattress without losing sleep” for detailed advice on finding the perfect bed. And watch our video buying guide.

Black Friday sales for the home

Sales the day after Thanksgiving—Black Friday—can mean big savings on home items both big and small. Whether you’re talking tools, appliances, or home furnishings, deals are available at the major retail stores as the end-of-year holidays approach.

While Consumer Reports has not tested many of the products listed here, our free buying advice (listed with each section) can help you make wise shopping decisions. Also check out our all-star appliances and kitchen gear, and be a smart shopper when you’re looking for new kitchen and laundry appliances.

Check local store locations for product availability, and note that prices and models are subject to change. (Prices have been rounded up to the nearest dollar.)

For more information on Black Friday deals, visit Black Friday 2007.—Helen A.S. Popkin

• Blenders & Mixers
• Coffeemakers
• Cookware & Cutlery
• Dishwashers
• Food Processors
• Gas & Electric Grills
• Heating, Cooling & Air
• Mattresses & Mattress Toppers
• Microwaves
• Ranges, Cooktops & Ovens
• Refrigerators
• Sewing Machines
• Steam Irons
• Toasters & Toaster Ovens
• Tools & Power Equipment
• Vacuum Cleaners, Wet/Dry Vacs
• Washers & Dryers
• Wine Chillers

Mattress Myth: Firmer is better

It’s a common misconception that a firmer mattress is a better mattress. Orthopedists once recommended sleeping on an extremely firm mattress, but there’s little evidence to support that view. The optimal surface is purely subjective, says Clete Kushida, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Stanford University Center for Human Sleep Research.

So the best mattress for you is the one that’s most comfortable. A study published in 2003 in the British medical journal The Lancet suggested that individuals who suffer from lower back pain would benefit from a medium-firm sleeping surface. That conclusion makes sense to several experts we interviewed. If a mattress is too firm, it won’t support all body parts evenly and may cause discomfort at the heaviest points (hips and shoulders). Too soft, and you could sink into the surface and have a hard time moving, which could cause tingling, numbness, or aches.

Alan Hedge, Ph.D., a professor of ergonomics at Cornell University, noted that the best mattress supports your spine at all points while allowing it to maintain its natural curve. By age 40, according to  Hedge, skin loses elasticity and becomes more sensitive to pressure points, which argues for a softer, more cushiony surface as you age. “Slightly softer works better because there’s less compression on the skin,” he said.

When shopping for a new mattress, keep these tips in mind:

• Don’t rely on product names. Each maker describes its products differently. One company’s ultraplush might be another’s supersoft.
• Wear loose clothes and shoes you can slip off. Spend at least five minutes on each side and your back (your stomach, too, if that’s a preferred position).
• Don’t be embarrassed to lie on many mattresses at the store. Salespeople expect it. Our panelists who took beds home for a monthlong trial rarely changed the opinion they formed after the first night. On the whole, their opinions also tracked with those of our 15-minute testers.

Essential information: Read “Mattress myths” to learn how to be a savvy shopper. Check out our buying guide for more advice on getting the perfect bed. And find out how to get a really good night’s sleep.

The high cost of sleep

How much are you willing to pay for a good night’s sleep? Israel-based Hollandia International, which recently opened its first U.S. store in Philadelphia, seems to think $10,000 to $50,000 is a reasonable price to charge slumber-starved Americans.

You can count your sheep—which would certainly be clad in only the finest cashmere—while reposing on Hollandia’s Gravity Zero sleep system (Prestige version shown). The system is “designed for optimal restfulness, relaxation and rejuvenation,” said David Ashe, chief operating officer for Hollandia International U.S. in a report in Furniture Today.

For about the price of a new Hummer H2, here’s some of what you get:
• a specially engineered hard-pressure laminate base;
• special aloe-vera fibers that offer “baby soft comfort” on a mattress of “rich, lush, breathable latex”;
• a motorized positioning system;
• motion detectors to prevent pets or children from injury;
• a “Flexible Shoulder Zone” to accommodate side sleepers; and
• optional massage motors with a microcomputer for 12 different programs

Of course, if your $50K is earmarked for undertaking a project at your house or paying college tuition, you’ll want to read our mattress and mattress topper Ratings (available to subscribers) to more-affordable options and inspect the anatomy of a mattress.

Finally, you won’t have to spend a dime to refer to our free tips on getting a healthy night’s sleep and beating insomnia.—Helen A.S. Popkin