As we grow older, we tend to have different priorities for the environments we live in. In the past, you might have been all right with climbing a long set of stairs or using a shower without handrails. As the natural aging process occurs, you may need to reexamine your surroundings. Figure out how you can make your life easier and more comfortable. If you’d like to learn more about making your home more senior-friendly, there are plenty of online resources to check out. Organizations like Loaids can help you plan out this process in an efficient, confident manner. You can learn more about various products to assist with mobility and senior care. You can make the right decisions when planning out how to make your home more senior-friendly. After all, why not enjoy life in the most comfortable way possible? Not only can this make your surroundings more senior-friendly, but it can also help you get more out of life on an everyday basis.
Of course, there are other reasons why you might want to make your home more senior-friendly. Perhaps your elderly parents are coming to visit. Perhaps they’re moving into your home permanently because they chose you as their caregiver aide under CDPAP program that lets them determine who the aide will be, their work schedule, and what kind of assistance the aide will provide. Perhaps you’re running a business, and many of your customers are seniors. Whatever the case may be, there are many things you can do to make your surroundings more senior-friendly. As you’ll find out, making your home more senior-friendly can also make it safer and more comfortable for all people, and not just the elderly.
It’s never too early to start making your home more senior-friendly. Even if you don’t think it’s really necessary to implement certain safety and mobility measures. It might be a good idea to act preemptively and start modifying your space as soon as possible. Today, you may be able-bodied enough to renovate your home and start changing things around, but that might not be true in a few decades. It’s best to act as soon as possible when making your home more senior-friendly because you never know what the future will bring.
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Clear Away Any Toys
One of the biggest risk factors for the elderly population is slipping and falling. If you’re going to make your home more senior-friendly, one of the first things you need to do is address any potential tripping hazards. Scattered toys represent one of the biggest risks for slips and falls. Whether you have children, a dog, or you have toys of your own, it’s best to keep these items off the floor at all times. Make sure you organize these loose items away in cupboards or shelves and educate your children about the importance of putting away their toys.
Address the Cheap Fixes First
Although you can spend thousands of dollars making your home more senior-friendly, there are several quick, easy, and cheap solutions that you can implement first. Here are some quick fixes you can get started on right away:
- No-slip strips and mats in the bathtub and shower
- Non-slip wax on floors
- Nonskid treads on staircases
- Get rid of throw rugs
- Take the wheels off chairs
- Replace doorknobs with lever handles
The Entry to Your Home is Important
Even though seniors generally spend more time at home compared to other individuals, you’ll still need to take extra care when you assess the entry of your home. If possible, it’s always a good idea to create an entry point that doesn’t require anyone to walk upstairs. The ideal entry point is completely flat, with no “rise.” That being said, a ramp is much better than a staircase when it comes to making your home more senior-friendly.
Lighting is More Important than You Might Think
Paying close attention to lighting is always important, whether you’re creating a more senior-friendly home or simply improving your residence atmosphere. Aside from helping set the mood, proper lighting can also improve safety. It’s easy to spot potential hazards and walk with greater confidence when you’re in a brightly lit environment. This is why you should make sure that your lighting is always up to par if you’re trying to make your home more senior-friendly.
The Expensive Options
With all that said, there are several more expensive options if you want to really make your home safe and accessible for seniors. The first thing you can do is hire an expert to come and inspect your home. These specially-trained professionals can spot potential hazards that you might have otherwise missed, and they can make solid recommendations on how you can improve things.
In addition, there are several expensive additions you can make to your home. Perhaps the most obvious is an electric stairlift. These devices help seniors navigate up and downstairs without having to worry about slips and falls. You can also install an elevator, although this is more expensive. Another option might be to simply hire a contractor who can create more space in your home. They can widen hallways and combine rooms into wide, open spaces. The more maneuvering room you have, the lower your chance of slipping and falling.
You may also need to heavily renovate your bathroom. Various additions can make your bathroom safer and more pleasant, but you will probably need to get advice from an expert on how you can alter your bathroom to make it more senior-friendly.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, making your home more senior-friendly is easier than you might have thought. While some of these tips are harder to implement than others, it doesn’t take much effort to make a real difference in your home. And of course, you can always hire professionals to help you with this process. As the elderly population continues to grow in the future, there will be more resources available to help make your life as comfortable as possible. Senior care is one of the fastest-growing industries on the planet, which means you’ll have plenty of options going forward as you strive to make your next years truly memorable.
Featured Image by Steffen Eckart from Pixabay
