Aging in Place: Home Renovations That Enhance Senior Safety
While some seniors prefer moving into a senior living community, most still opt to stay in their homes. In essence, they feel that this is a better choice since they can maintain their independence and feel much safer and more comfortable in their own homes. However, most homes are not built with the elderly or people with disability in mind. Therefore, for seniors who prefer to receive home care services in their residents, it is essential to do some home modifications to ensure that they live safely. In this guide, we shall discuss the makeovers that will enhance this:
Photo by furkanfdemir
1. Create An Obstacle-Free Home
We all have things that we never want to let go of, but the more they pile up in our homes, the more they create an unsightly look—furthermore, having clutter all over increases tripping hazards. So, even before you begin to do significant home modifications, ensure that your home is free of clutter and well arranged in a free-flowing yet elegant layout that creates a good traffic flow. Loose cords and cables are safely secured by either attaching them to the walls with clips or placing them behind the furniture.
2. Make The Main Entryway Accessible
The entryway is a high-traffic area; therefore, you must enhance ease of movement. As long the senior is at home, once in a while, they will need to go out and bask, take a walk or run their errands unsupervised. Big houses may have different entryways, but there is always the main entrance. Installing a ramp at the main entrance is a great idea to shield the elderly from falls as they traverse in and out of the house. Furthermore, this modification is also ideal for someone using a wheelchair, wheeled luggage, or a stroller.
3. Update the Floor
The bathroom is one of the most high-risk places for falls among all ages. Fortunately, the younger generation may have the balance and grip to hold themselves in case of a bathroom slip and probably sprain an ankle. The health implications may be much more severe for seniors since they will most likely hurt their spines, yielding further complications.
Consider anti-slip flooring options like vinyl, bamboo, or ceramic tiles. You should go a step further for the bathrooms and add non-slip pads. If the flooring was warped, repair or replace visible damages or uneven spots, which can also cause tripping hazards.
4. Install Grab Bars and Hand Rails
Stairs pose a significant risk of hazard for senior residents. Seniors can benefit from having something supportive as they walk up and down the stairs. A stair lift can also come in handy to help the senior move in a short amount of time. The initial investment may be expensive, but they are a great addition and use low power consumption as most household appliances would. Grab bars and handrails will also come in handy in the bathroom to help move, especially when the ground is wet. Handrails placed around the toilet seat will also help them sit and stand easily without asking for help.
5. Update The Furniture
While purchasing furniture, one must consider comfort, sturdiness, functionality, and safety. Wobbly furniture should be the first thing to get rid of since it will not support your weight and increase the chances of sliding and falling. Round corner furniture is also most preferred over the conventional sharp-edged ones to minimize the chances of seniors bumping into them and bruising themselves.
One should also adjust the seats to a suitable height with seating arms that support them while they sit or stand. With the homecare unit in mind, the bed should also be at a safe height. One way of enhancing this is by ensuring that their feet can lay flat on the floor while seated on the bed. Bed rails are also a perfect addition to the bed to offer support and stability and prevent them from rolling out. A flashlight or nightlight by the bedside will also help ease movement, especially when they need to use the bathroom at night.
6. Install Senior Friendly Hardware
Most household fixtures, especially the doorknobs, cabinets, drawers, and plumbing, may look stylish but are not accessible for differently-abled people. You can imagine how difficult a person without arms can successfully use them. Fixtures that require pinching, twisting, or pulling are not the best for seniors. Therefore, if the house has such fixtures, replace them with lever-style knobs, reducing the difficulty of using them. Touchless faucets are also another smart upgrade that only requires a simple handwave to operate and shut down themselves.
7. Increase Visibility
When you have a well-lit home, you will never worry about the senior's safety. As seniors get older, their eyesight starts failing. A dark room is an invitation to bumps or falls. So, ensure enough lighting across the home, from the entryway, hallway, staircase, and rooms.
During the day, ensure that the house has good access to natural light. If that is lacking, be creative and use ways such as adding reflective mirrors, adding skylights, enlarging windows if possible, or adding lighter window treatments. Call an electrician to do significant modifications like adding strip lights across the staircase, motion sensor lights, and good ambient lighting in a balanced form across the home. Contrasting colors for the furniture, walls, floor or decorative accessories is another way to ensure that seniors can easily distinguish different items.
8. Use Assistive Technology
Despite the controversies with technology, it has to be credited for making life easier. Even with home care services at home, incorporating smart appliances can come in handy to enhance safety, security, and monitoring. They revolve around security, medical emergency systems, lighting, appliances, door locks, fire detectors, entryways, etc. These can also be operated, modified, and send alerts to your phone and concerned parties. While some of those may require a monthly maintenance fee, the charges are reasonable and affordable, especially from the growth in the market.
Making your home habitable is the first serious safety measure that one can do for themselves. Ensure that you also work with professionals to ensure that the modifications are done well and to the required standard.
Author Bio: Jenn Walker is a freelance writer, blogger, dog-enthusiast, and avid beachgoer operating out of Southern New Jersey.
