Prepare Your Home for an Elderly Relative
Doors, stairs and walkways
Use nightlights. Nightlights prevent stubbed toes and falls in darkness. Install them in all hallways and bathrooms.
Clear clutter. Lessen your senior relative’s potential for falling by clearing the hallways in your house of anything on the floor. Remove or tape down loose electrical cords and throw rugs, and put away all toys and laundry.
Install lever handles on doors. Lever handles, rather than traditional round doorknobs, don’t require twisting the wrist to use. They are much easier to open for aging wrists. Bonus: With levers, you’ll be able to open doors with your hands full. Add railings next to stairs both outside and inside the house. Make sure they are correctly bolted to the wall so they can support a person’s entire body weight.
Lighting and room temperature
Add bright lighting. Older eyes need more light to see. Add bright lights in the senior relative’s closet, bedroom, kitchen and throughout your home.Switch to rocker switches. Rocker switches don’t need fine-motor control to use, and could be pushed with an elbow in case your hands are full.
Try smart lights. Whether they are triggered by motion or come on at pre-specified times, smart lights mean your senior relative has light to see without having to try to find the light switch.
Install separate HVAC controls. Seniors have a tendency to like their rooms warmer, while the remainder of your family may not. Install separate heat and air conditioning controls in your elderly relative’s bedroom or suite to allow them to set their own personal temperature.
Bathrooms
Install support bars. The bathroom can be a slippery place, and seniors can use these support bars, also called grab bars, to keep themselves from falling. Add nonslip bath mats. Add a grip mat to the tub to lessen slipperiness and a bath rug right outside the tub or shower to soak up excess water. Ensure that the mats are nonslip. Make toilet paper very easy to reach. Adjust the position of the toilet paper holder to ensure that it doesn’t require twisting the body to reach it. Get an adjustable toilet seat in case your toilet is low. You’ll be able to adjust the height so that it is much easier to get on and off.
Kitchen
Reorganize cabinets and drawers. Ensure that your senior relatives have access to everything that they need without reaching or needing a step stool. Switch to “D”-shaped handles and pulls on your cabinetry. They are simpler to grasp than hardware of other shapes. Install an induction stove. Traditional stoves get hot and pose a burn hazard. Reduce the risk by having an induction stove that stays cool to the touch. Only your pots and pans crafted from stainless steel or cast iron will get hot, not the stove top itself. Add pull-down shelving. Simply pull down the handle and the top-shelf items are within easy reach. You get more storage space, and your senior relative will not have to request for assistance to reach the paprika.
Keep your senior relative safe
Multi-generational living poses many challenges – don’t let your home be one of them. With a few simple modifications, your house will support your senior relative as they age. These changes won’t only prevent accidents, but make your house easier and much more comfortable to navigate. Welcome your elderly relative to your newly accessible home, and leave the drama of a senior fall to the television stars.
