Kitchen & Bath Business - January 2018 - 32

Hot Topic

We're in this
Together
Collaboration is key when working
with living-in-place clients

PLAN FOR MINIMAL DISRUPTIONS

AS DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION EXPERTS, we know that communicating

and working with clients is the most important part of any project - and
often the most difficult. Trained professionals who lead the discussion have
better control and the ability to meet and exceed the client's expectations
throughout the project.
We also know that some clients are more challenging than others. If
clients want to continue to live in their homes for as long as possible, which
is about 90 percent of seniors, there may be a few extra steps to consider in
the process.
PROCEEDING WITH CARE

"When working with clients whose homes pose challenges, occupational
therapists will complete a comprehensive assessment and analysis to determine the client's abilities and medical needs and will explain in detail why
certain designs and products may be better for them,"said Sabrena McCarley,
CLIPP, a registered and licensed occupational therapist. "Some of these
clients may need more assistance than others, so it is wise to plan as much
time as necessary to ensure they fully understand what they need and why
to safely live in place."
Short, clear and concise project documents may be necessary for some
individuals who have difficulty understanding the complexity of the project.
"Instead of giving one big document that goes on for five or more pages
of project description, it may be better to break the project documents
into smaller pieces," said David Newton, CMKBD, CLIPP. "For any
remodeling project, create individual documents for each phase - one for
demolition, rough work, plumbing, electrical, tile, etc.This may work better
for many clients."
Maria Stapperfenne, CMKBD, CLIPP, and the 2015 national president
of the National Kitchen & Bath Association, recommends that design professionals post a project calendar in a prominent place in their client's home.
She suggests using a large dry-erase board instead of a bunch of small printed
pages to keep it simple for them.
"Your project schedule [may] be very complex, but the homeowner just
needs to see the start and finish of different work activities, especially those
that create dust or noise," she added. "For some tasks, we put up photos to
help them understand what it relates to, which makes it easy for them to understand when we will be installing cabinets, showers, etc. And we give them
updates on project progress as frequently as they would like or can handle.
While for most clients a weekly progress meeting is sufficient, some clients
may need daily updates."

32

By LOUIE DELAWARE and
ERIK LISTOU, co-founders of
the Living In Place Institute

Then there is the other aspect of every project -
disruptions - which can be challenging for some
clients, especially if they are sensitive to noise, odor
or dust.
"Many of my clients have various sensitivities,"
said McCarley."It is important to understand what
their sensory triggers are and determine how to
best minimize them ahead of time, otherwise you
may create a difficult situation. And don't forget
that many people will be uncomfortable with doors
left open - letting in heat, cold, dust or insects."
Newton says he and his team will often create dust barriers, use low-VOC materials and cut
materials outside as much as possible.
"One of the first things I do is ask how many
hours a day my clients can tolerate people in their
home,"said Stapperfenne."Some don't mind that
the staff works extended hours when they want the
project completed as fast as possible, and others
can only tolerate at most six hours a day.We always
post such signs as,'Construction Worker Entrance'
and 'NO Personal Trash in the Home.' Do everything that will help minimize the client's stress."
During a renovation, there are often disruptions to electricity, water, phone, natural gas or
even the internet.
"People need power, hot and cold water and
the sewer to be working as much as possible,"said
McCarley. "For someone who has refrigerated
medicines or relies on an oxygen concentrator or
ventilator, there is always a great deal of anguish
when [any of those] will be out for more than a
few minutes. And with so many people wanting
continuous access to the Internet, this also presents a major challenge for many projects."
Before you quote any project, understand what
limitations or challenges your client may have;
knowing what to expect is paramount. Budget
properly for the extra time and expenses some
projects require to ensure the experience is pleasant and profitable for everyone involved.


Kitchen & Bath Business / JANUARY 2018 / KBBONLINE.COM / The official publication of KBIS (KBIS.com)
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Kitchen & Bath Business - January 2018

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