Future-Proofing Homes for Aging in Place: Key Trends for 2025

Future-Proofing Homes for Aging in Place: Key Trends for 2025

I firmly believe the homes we design today should last a lifetime. Rising costs have driven many Australians to stay put longer – creating “an opportunity to design with accessibility-enabling features…so seamlessly integrated…they don’t feel aesthetically different from any other home.”

Right here in Queensland, this matters now: about 1 in 6 Queenslanders is over 65, and our seniors population has more than doubled since 2004. Nationally, the trend is even more dramatic – by 2065 almost a quarter of Australians will be 65+. The takeaway for architects and developers is clear: age-friendly design is not a niche concern; it is a mainstream necessity.

Demographic Reality: A Maturing Population

Australia’s population is greying. In Queensland, the share of people 65+ jumped from 11.9% in 2004 to 17.2% in 2024 – that’s roughly 1-in-6 residents today. The number of seniors (65+) and “very old” (85+) both more than doubled over that period. Families are planning multigenerational living: adult children living with parents, or couples expecting to host aging relatives and grandchildren. By 2065 nearly 25% of Australians will be 65 or older. These statistics are not abstractions; they mean more local demand for homes where people can truly age in place. Every new project in Brisbane and beyond needs to account for this demographic shift.

Policy & Standards: Shifting the Design Landscape

Our policy framework is catching up to this need. In mid-2024 the Australian Government released the National Aged Care Design Principles and Guidelines – a comprehensive, evidence-based resource for safe, dignified housing for older people. Although it focuses on aged care facilities, many of its principles (like access, flexibility, natural light and wayfinding) translate to private home design.

Meanwhile in Queensland the Livable Housing Design Standard (LHDS) is rolling out. Since 1 October 2023 all new houses and units in Qld must include key accessible features. These measures align with national building code changes toward universal design. In practice this means designers and builders need to follow liveable-housing checklists from day one: step-free entries, reinforced walls for grabrails, wider hallways and doorways, and bathrooms sized for mobility devices.

The impact of these standards is huge. The regulatory analysis confirms that retrofitting an older home is expensive – on average about $20,000 to meet the new liveable-housing standard. By contrast, adding those same features during new construction often costs only about 1% of the build price. In short, getting accessibility right from the start is far easier and more cost-effective than fixing it later. Homeowners who adopt these standards early can remain in place longer, keep their hospital stays short, and reduce the need to move – a win for everyone.

Vision: A Hidden Challenge in Aging Design

One often-overlooked consideration is the typical progression of age-related vision changes, which can begin as early as age 40 and intensify with each decade. These changes significantly impact how individuals perceive their environment, making thoughtful design crucial for safety and comfort.

• In Your 40s: The onset of presbyopia—a reduced ability to focus on close objects—commonly begins, making tasks like reading more challenging.

• By Your 50s: There is a noticeable decline in contrast sensitivity, making it harder to distinguish objects from backgrounds of similar colour.

• In Your 60s: The eye’s pupil size decreases and the lens becomes denser and yellower, reducing the amount of light reaching the retina. A 60-year-old typically requires 3 to 4 times lighter for reading than someone in their 20s.

• By Your 70s and Beyond: Glare sensitivity increases, and colour perception (especially blues and greens) diminish.

Design Implications:

• Enhance Lighting: Provide ample, adjustable lighting to account for reduced sensitivity.

• Use High-Contrast Elements: Add contrast between walls, floors, furniture, and fixtures to help with visual perception.

• Minimize Glare: Use matte finishes and diffused lighting to reduce reflections.

• Simplify Navigation: Large-print or tactile indicators and intuitive layouts help with orientation and safety.

These small but crucial changes dramatically increase usability and comfort for older residents—and they often benefit everyone else in the home too.

Universal & Multigenerational Design: Good for Everybody

At the core of future-proof homes is universal design. This means planning environments that serve people of all ages and abilities. As aging-in-place architect Aaron D. Murphy puts it: “Universal design – just better for everybody. Better for the four-year-old, better for the 84-year-old.”

In practice, this means every home feature should be dual-purpose: a zero-step threshold helps parents with prams and elders with walkers alike; a nightlight or contrasting trim benefits toddlers and those with low vision. Murphy even quips that “good design disappears – that is step 1. If it is done right, you do not notice. You just notice it works.”

Design details matter. For example, most household falls happen in bathrooms, so many designers are installing zero-threshold (hobbles) showers to eliminate trip hazards. Key design trends include wider doors and halls (to allow wheelchairs or scooters to turn easily), slip-resistant flooring, ample natural light, and handholds built into walls. Smart layouts also help: putting a bedroom or full bath on the ground floor anticipates a future mobility change. Multigenerational homes might incorporate a secondary living suite or “granny flat” space. Importantly, these features benefit everyone – guests, young children, and older family members all enjoy a safer, more comfortable home.

Tech, Wellness & Innovation

Beyond physical features, technology and wellness are shaping age-friendly homes. Voice-activated lights and thermostats, telehealth-ready wiring (so doctors’ appointments can happen remotely), and smart sensors (for medication reminders or fall alerts) are on the rise. Universal homes increasingly include in-wall conduits for future connectivity and spaces that can adapt to health equipment. Wellness design also plays a role: good ventilation, antibacterial surfaces, and built-in fitness or therapy nooks support healthy aging. Integrating these innovations from the start means homes are resilient to both aging bodies and rapidly evolving tech.

Actionable Insights for Architects & Developers

• Design for Flexibility from Day One: Always incorporate core accessible elements in new plans – e.g. no-step entries, wide circulation space, and reinforced walls for future grab rails. It is far cheaper during initial construction than retrofitting later.

• Embrace Universal Design Principles: Use resources like the National Aged Care Design Principles and Queensland’s LHDS as checklists. Think beyond minimum requirements: even simple moves (lever handles, open floor plans, bench seating at different heights) enhance usability for all ages.

• Plan Versatile, Multigenerational Spaces: Include adaptable rooms or potential self-contained units. For instance, a main-floor suite can serve aging parents now and become a rental or guest suite later. Ensure kitchens and bathrooms have space for assistive devices (e.g. wheelchairs, walkers).

• Collaborate with Specialists and Clients: Talk early with occupational therapists, geriatric care experts and the homeowners themselves about long-term needs. Pull in medical advisors or aging consultants when possible – Aaron Murphy highlights that we often need the “big picture” (finances, health, family plan) to tailor a truly supportive design.

• Advocate for Smart and Sustainable Features: Future-proof homes by pre-installing smart-home infrastructure (voice assistants, remote monitoring) and by using durable, non-toxic materials. Clients are increasingly conscious of energy and health – designs that reduce maintenance and utility costs (e.g. solar, passive heating, easy-clean finishes) benefit retirees on fixed incomes.

Each of these steps is practical and proven – they are already in play on pioneering projects nationwide. In our Queensland context, they resonate especially well. For example, reducing the home-care burden by keeping elders at home as long as possible aligns with both state and federal priorities. And for developers, marketing homes as “age-ready” can attract a wider market segment (not just retirees, but young families and disabled buyers as well).

Let’s Collaborate on Age-Friendly Homes

We need everyone at the table – architects, builders, planners, and even homeowners – to make this vision a reality. Share your insights and experiences! If you are working on an age-friendly or multigenerational project, I would love to hear how you are tackling these trends. Please feel free to comment below, share this post with colleagues, or reach out directly.

Looking ahead, I invite you to connect and collaborate on these projects. Whether you are an architect looking for partners, a developer planning a new community, or a researcher with ideas, let us work together to ensure our homes truly grow old gracefully with us.

Sources: Queensland Government Statistician’s Office; Australian Government Dept of Health; Queensland Dept of Housing & Public Works; Australian Government Centre for Population; Fagerhult Lighting Research; Davis EyeCare Associates; Lighting Research Center; VeryWell Health; IOVS – Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science.

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