c
 



 



DzHome is an invention on which no one has yet improved.dz

-Ann Douglas

My wife and I just moved across the river to a nearby city in a neighboring state. The
move was done mostly by us. This meant i
 i
ii
Further, we had to notify all the entities modern humans deal
with in life of our change in contact information; a time-devouring endeavor if there
ever was one.

After weeks of moving stuff, Thoreauǯs adage: 





 was

resonating; and a philosophy I was all too willing to embrace.

!
"
After years of living at the prior address we created cognitive mapsȄthat is,
information stored in our brains as spatial networks. We developed what
environmental psychologist call 
 or a sense of control
over our environmentȄand control is never relinquished easilyǥ
With the moving process generating stacks of boxes and clutter (not being able to
find things) our sense of mastery was wilting like golden butter on a baked potato.
That first night in the new/old home was disorientingȄbut not nearly as dizzying as
the 4:30 AM wake up i

: Ever shower without curtains on the
window or the shower?!

I found myself coping with the environmental stress by going back to the 

Ȅthe one we just left. Visiting a store or coffee shop from the old
neighborhood and having social exchanges with familiar people provided a feeling
of competence; as I gathered more information on the new environment.
Over time the new/old home will become a 

, a place to
recover from environmental stressȄnot the source of it. Establishing new routines
and new meaningful experiences, as well as a sense of community, is an ongoing
process.

The late Erma Bombeck once equated housework with stringing beads without a
knot tied on the other endȄ
 #$i; not
unlike establishing a good person-environment fit which is a dynamic process that
changes over the life-span.

See:
Universal Design video 1
Universal Design Video 2
Universal Design Video 3
Universal Design Video 4
Universal Design Video 5
Housing in Response to the Human Life Cycle
Universal Design Holds Universal Appeal
The Accessible Home: Updating Your Home for Changing Physical Needs (Creative
Publishing International, 2003. creativepub.com)
Thereǯs no Place Like Home

Visit www.aginginplace.com for more information.