How To Make A Home Senior Friendly
A home that may be convenient for people around the ages of 50 to 60 can actually be different when they reach the age of 70 to 80. Eliminating clutter in homes is one of the first tips to consider in making your home senior-friendly, since its one of the solutions in preventing accidents from happening. Adding lighting is another good tip since senior people may need twice as much light to see clearly.
Doing simple makeovers for your home can beneficial for senior people and may prevent unfortunate incidents and can make life easier for them.
Recreating your Bathroom
Increasing safety and accessibility in your bathroom is highly important, since it is used countless times everyday. Not only should it be comfortable and attractive, it should also be safe. Since most accidents may occur in the bathroom than in any other part of the home.
Build roll-in showers with multiple showerheads which are fixed, height adjustable and handheld. When using the shower, make sure that the curtain is not held up by a tension rod, since grabbing it for support may result to a fall, install grab bars for support. Also, place rubber mats inside and outside the shower to avoid slipping and falling.
Lowering the bathroom sink and making sure there is proper knee clearance is also needed. Faucets should also be properly labeled hot and cold, color coding them with red for hot and blue for cold. Make sure that water temperature is set on a setting of 120 degrees or lower since most senior people lose their sensitivity to temperature and may scald themselves.
Install an elevated toilet to help senior people with problems in their leg strength and balance. Add handrails on both sides of the toilet.
Lighting Settings
Older people need more light, they also need light to be evenly distributed since it takes more time for the seniors’ eyes to readjust in the changing light. The lighting should be indirect, aiming it at the ceiling or the walls to prevent glaring.
Installing proper lighting at home can reduce accidents. The outdoor areas, stairs, kitchen and the living room areas are some places where the use of proper lightning is needed. Remodel dark hallways, especially if they lead to the stairs or to brightly lit rooms.
Placing flashlights which can be easily reached and looked for is also needed, check on the batteries every few months. Emergency lights should come on automatically in case of power outage.
Use rocker type switches for your lighting so you can turn them on or off even with your elbows if your hands are full.
Kitchen Needs
The kitchen is another room which can cause physical stress for our seniors. Certain parts of the kitchen are needed to be corrected to ensure safety. Cabinets and drawer handles should be replaced with D-shaped handles since they are more comfortable to grasp especially to people suffering from arthritis. Cabinet shelves should also be sliding or pull out in order to gain access to items efficiently.
When choosing appliances, look for refrigerators of freezers with side by side doors so that everything that is needed can be easily placed on the mid shelf. On the other hand, it is also recommended to use drawer type dishwashers installed in platforms to prevent seniors from bending over.
The kitchen needs to be user-friendly. Ensuring maneuverability and adjusting the heights of countertops can spell the difference.
Aging in Place
Since many senior people prefer to age in place, living in their homes than moving to a nursing home or an assisted facility. The need to make a home senior-friendly is extremely important.
Doing simple remodeling of your home can be at times costly but, the rewards to reap will not only benefit our senior people but everyone at home as well. One floor living arrangements can also be done to lessen the use of stairs.
There are a lot of options that may aid in the welfare of senior living. Consulting home builders for remodeling can be arranged. All it takes is a little innovative designing. Some may consider that remodeling homes can result to higher costs than average but investing on something like this not only promotes safety but quality living as well.
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