A house designed to be more convenient and comfortable for the young, old and disabled is on the market in the Des Moines area. Features in the so-called “House 2000” in Pleasant Hill aim to prevent slip-and-fall accidents. The three-thousand square foot walk-out ranch uses what’s called a barrier-free universal design concept. It’s being used as a demonstration home by the Arthritis Foundation Iowa Chapter.Chapter spokeswoman Stacey Kuehler says the features –like wider hallways and no steps leading up to the house– may enable residents to stay in their homes longer instead of facing a nursing home. The price tag on the house reads 369-thousand dollars, which Kuehler says is higher than a “regular” house.She says the concepts can be applied to more modest homes for four or five percent over the cost of a regular home. Accidents related to falls in the home are the fifth-leading cause of injury deaths for Americans 65 and older.
