Making Your Home Accessible for Your Older Parents

If you want to help your parents get the care that they need as they get older, or simply to avoid the isolation that often comes with old age, especially when living alone, you may think to invite them into your home. However, to make it a good fit, you may have to consider how you need to change the home to suit their needs. An accessible and comfortable environment can not only help them avoid accidents but also allow them to relax and feel truly at home. Here, we’ll look at a few critical areas to focus on.

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Keep The Way Clear

Slips, trips, and falls become a more likely hazard as we get older, and the consequences can be a lot more severe, especially for those with reduced vision or balance issues. Make an effort to keep your pathways clear. Keeping hallways and floors clear of clutter with the help of wicker storage baskets around the home and getting rid of rugs or anything that could loosen can allow for easier and more confident movement. Lighting also plays a crucial role, so be sure to install bright, energy-efficient light and consider using motion sensors in frequently used areas to make them safer at night.

Understand The Difficulty Of Stairs

Simple as they may seem to you, stairs can become an intimidating prospect for a lot of older people. Whether it’s from weakened joints, arthritis, poor balance, or reduced vision, climbing stairs can be risky, and a stair lift can be an excellent investment in helping your parents move safely from floor to floor. For those who may struggle with stair lifts or use a wheelchair, through floor passenger lifts can offer a more comprehensive and secure solution. These lifts move vertically between floors, eliminating the need for stairs altogether.

Consider Any Mobility Needs

A lot of older people require additional help with their mobility, often in the form of equipment like wheelchairs, walkers, and canes. As such, you may have to design parts of your home around these helpful aids, whether it’s by widening your doorways or installing ramps where there might be stairs, such as the entrance to the home. For some, moving to retirement villages provides a supportive setting where social interaction and daily needs are easier to manage.

Focus On The Bathroom

The bathroom is one of the most potentially dangerous parts of the home, with slipping being a significant concern. Modifying this area can greatly improve safety and accessibility. This might be through grab bars near the toilet and shower for added support in maintaining balance. Shower seats can also make bathing a lot safer, reducing the risk of slips, as can walk-in showers with low thresholds. A raised toilet seat is another helpful addition, making it easier for older adults to sit down and stand up. Standard toilet heights can be too low, causing strain on joints and muscles.

The tips above offer some good places to start considering, but it’s important to talk to your parent about what changes they think they need. Do so with the spirit of openness and welcome so they feel comfortable talking about it.