Building & Renovation

How can I make my home Senior Friendly

Young Caucasian nanny for the elderly reading to her patients in common room

How can I make my home senior-friendly? If your parents are getting older, but still independent enough to remain in their own home, there are a few changes that may help make things easier for them. A few minor alterations in the flow and maintenance can affect a great change and create a safer and more comfortable home. Below are some tips to help you accomplish that goal.

How to Make the Bathroom More Senior-Friendly

As people age, it becomes more difficult to step safely over the side of a bathtub to get in. Consider removing the bathtub in favor of a more accessible walk-in shower. This would make it simpler to enter the shower and to sit safely on a shower chair. Get help from the specialist in tub to shower conversion Albuquerque relies on. You may also want to consider buying them an ADA height toilet, as it is easier to get on and off of, reducing the risk of falling. You should install handicap grab bars near the toilet and inside the shower to help keep them safer.

Batten Down the Hatches

To make your home more senior-friendly, go through the house checking for obstacles, cords running across the floor, or turned up edges on rugs, take the necessary steps to remove or secure these items so that they no longer present a tripping hazard. You can nail the loose edge of a rug to the floor, or run a strip of tape down the length of cords if they must remain where they are.

Stairways

Stairs can be a particularly difficult problem for the elderly. Make sure there is no loose carpet or runner on the stairs a heel could catch in. Attach a second hand rail to give them something to help keep their balance. Make sure there is a working light at both the top and bottom of the stairs so they can see where they are going.

Rearrange the Furniture

In order to accommodate a walker or oxygen tubing safely, you may need to go through the home and rearrange some furnishings. Keep in mind that your parents may be resistant and may not want to move anything because they like it the way it is, so try not to do anything too drastic. Show them how much more simple it could be with a couple of items moved out of the way.

You may want to enlist the services of a housekeeper to do some deep cleaning, laundry and meal preparation. If your parents want to remain independent, then making some of these changes may be the best option for keeping them in their beloved home.

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