How to Modify Your Home to Accommodate Your Senior Parents
If you’re thinking about ways you can modify your home to accommodate your senior parents, you’re not alone.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused many people, including seniors and their children, to reconsider whether senior living facilities and nursing homes are really the best places for them to be. Nursing homes were linked to roughly 40% of all COVID-19 deaths, a sobering statistic, to say the least.
While there are lots of benefits to having senior parents in the home, there are also lots of changes that need to be made in order to make a home safer for elderly parents.
Here are some tips on how you can make the transition as simple as possible.
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Benefits of Bringing Your Senior Parents Home
There are countless benefits to bringing your senior parents home. For one, it can reduce much of the stress associated with having a parent in an assisted living or long-term care facility - or having them remain at home.
Novel issues like the COVID-19 pandemic aside, having Mom or Dad at home with you can eliminate many of the worries you may experience by not knowing what kind of care (if any) they are receiving.
It can also save money. The average cost of long-term care is creeping upward toward $10,000 per month, a premium that very few of us can afford without some sort of financial strain. You will undoubtedly save money by having your senior parent at home, even if you have to hire some sort of nursing assistance from time to time.
You may be able to claim your parents as a dependent on your taxes, though there are some limits to this, as well as their medical expenses.
And let’s not forget the most important benefit of bringing your senior parent home - quality time. It’s not just Grandma who will benefit from being at home with her grandchildren, though that’s an obvious and very real plus side of the new living arrangement. Research has shown that kids experience more emotional stability and reduced risks of depression when they spend time with their grandparents.
How to Modify Your Home to Make it Safe for Seniors
1. Kitchen and Dining Room
The kitchen and dining room should be some of the first places you tackle since they are some of the most-used areas of the home - but can also be the most hazardous.
Ensure that the food preparation area can be accessed even when seated and store all necessary or essential food preparation items in easy-to-reach areas. Install a faucet that can be used with a single lever rather than multiple individual knobs. The dining room table should be adjusted so that it can be accessed by a wheelchair or walker on at least one side.
2. Living Room
The living room shouldn’t require a ton of modifications, but there are some basic ones you’ll want to consider. Ensure that all cords and wires are moved out of the way so they don’t pose a tripping hazard and arrange the furniture so that it’s easy to maneuver around.
3. Stairs and Walkways
Ensure that all walkways are well-lit and remove any tripping hazards. Put non-slip treads on the steps and make sure the railings don’t wobble. If your senior has more pressing mobility needs, consider installing a stairlift - believe it or not, stairlift prices are a lot lower than you might think.
4. Bathroom
The bathroom is another essential area to modify - it’s an area of regular use and it’s also a place in the home where most slips and falls tend to occur. A walk-in style shower or tub is ideal, but even simple upgrades like railings by the shower and toilet, an adjustable handheld showerhead, and no-slip mats inside the shower can be beneficial.
Of course, following other tips to make sure your parent’s bedroom is a sanctuary for sleep can be helpful, too!
5. Bedroom
Whenever possible, bedrooms should be located on the ground floor of the home. This may eliminate the need to use or modify the stairs at all. Regardless of the bedroom’s location, consider a bed with a railing and install light switches that can be easily reached.
6. Other Areas
Be sure that all outdoor areas are well-lit and free from overgrown plants and other tripping hazards. Depending on your senior’s needs, you may need to install an outdoor ramp. Security systems and doors that are easy to lock and unlock are also good ideas, as are lever-operated door handles for easier access.
If you have a basement or garage, reconsider what needs to be stored in these places. This can limit unnecessary trips. Install a phone in these locations in case emergency calls are necessary.
Things to Keep in Mind
While there are lots of benefits to changing up your living situation to accommodate your senior parents, it is, of course, not something you can do overnight.
You will need to think carefully about any hazards or mobility limitations that exist in your home. The modifications we’ve discussed above are a great place to start - but you may need to go even further than that, depending on the layout of your home.
Also, depending on the changes you make, you may have to revisit your home insurance policy. Some features will lead to a lower premium - but you’ll need to let them know about any major installations like wheelchair ramps, as these should be listed on the policy to ensure that they are covered.
If you’re removing your loved one from a nursing home, know that there are several logistical steps that need to be taken.
Make sure the decision to bring your senior parent home is one that you can commit to long-term. Places in long-term care facilities tend to fill up quickly and it might not be easy to get your loved one back in should it become impossible to provide the care he needs at home.
Otherwise, consider the home modifications above as you bring your parents home - with a bit of planning, everyone’s needs can be fully accommodated.
Author Bio: Rebekah Pierce is a writer in upstate New York, just north of the Adirondack Mountains. She holds both a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Education degree. In addition to writing, she also owns a farm, where she grows a variety of plants and raises chickens, pigs, and sheep. Her writing interests cover everything from farming and gardening to education, health and wellness, and business. She writes regularly for her own blog, J&R Pierce Family Farm, as well as for California Mobility.
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