Homes for the elderly: 21 ideas and tips to adapt a home for the lives of the elderly
If you are thinking about moving into a home, building one that you can retire to, or wondering how you can make it easier to live in your elderly parents’ home, there are a few things to look for to earn a living as a senior or as a person. with an easier disability. Here is a list of 21 useful and proven ideas and tips.
1. Rocker type light switches and many ways to turn lights on / off from different locations, commonly known as two-way or three-way. Lots of natural light, ceiling lights, and electrical outlets. Ideally electrical outlets should be higher off the floor than the code says and many more in number, this makes light placement easier, wires are less likely to be in the way. In large spaces, consider floor outlets that will eliminate cables and allow for furniture placement options. This is also very useful if you have a small bedroom and someone needs a hospital bed in the living room or dining room.
2. All doors: interior / exterior doors and room entrances must be at least 36 “for use by wheelchair, scooter, walker, etc. Must have 18” free wall space There are obstacles on the latch side of the door (in and out of the room), so if you are in a wheelchair you can get close enough to the handle to easily open / close the door. Be careful not to block the space with furniture. Look out the sliding doors – you’ll get pictures and ease.
3. Lots of phone jacks so phones can be throughout the house, as you get older, it takes longer to get to the phone. This is also safer in emergency situations.
4. Handrails to go up / down stairs on both sides, handrails in the bathroom to maintain balance when going up / down on the toilet and entering / exiting showers / bathtubs.
5. Consider a security system that includes an emergency button that has a wrist or neck chain that you can wear or keep in your pocket. These are very affordable and can even be used outdoors many feet from the house.
6. Hang a tennis ball on a rope from the ceiling in the garage to hit the windshield in the correct parking spot. Makes life easier. Make sure that if you have electric garage door openers, if the power goes out, a “short” and not physically strong person can open the door to get the car out. Think of an on-demand generator … it takes care of so many obstacles and dangers.
7. Having drawers for all your cabinets under the kitchen makes finding things easier, less lifting, and actually uses space more efficiently.
8. Washer / dryer on the floor near the bedroom, as this is where most of the laundry is generated.
9. Make sure the house is one story, or if it is two stories, it has an extra wide staircase so that a stairlift can be installed. Now they have affordable home elevators that work like a bench air tube and therefore work even when there is no electricity downstairs.
10. Windows must be able to be cleaned from inside the house, on both sides.
11. Spend a lot of time looking at the bathroom and finding out how you can use it if you’ve broken your leg, had severe arthritis, or were weak. Bathtub / shower / faucets / sprinklers / slips / space for equipment and mobility equipment.
12. The doorknobs and faucet knobs should be toggle.
13. Maintenance free as much as possible, inside and outside the house.
14. Is the home located near important resources such as supermarkets, doctors, pharmacies,
friends and church / clubs / activities? Consider this in case you cannot drive at night or very far or if you cannot drive at all. How far from fire / rescue / police services as well.
15. Open space vs. a home with many small rooms is best for flexibility as you age. Consider how far you have to walk in the house just for activities of daily living.
16. Think of a cat or dog door, if applicable, and the animal will be safe. You could go into a fenced area, they can be locked at night, and they make life so much easier.
17. Reconsider the floor. Do you have to wash frequently? Is it slippery? Can a wheelchair be easily fitted? Is it easy to care for and maintain?
18. Stairs, whether indoors or outdoors, can quickly become huge obstacles, consider location, width and height, how often they should be used, number, etc. so that your future is to access areas of your home, enter and leave your home and be safe.
19. There are taller toilets available that make getting on and off easier. Now there are combo shower / tubs you walk into and they keep going down in price too.
20. Having paved entrances and hallways is very useful for safety, the use of devices is necessary and in snowy weather, they melt faster. Also consider fire escape plans, we just don’t move as fast or as easily as we get older or when you have limitations.
21. If you can look at a home through the eyes of aging or have someone with a disability or an older adult look at things for you, you can have a much happier, safer, and easier life at home.
Vocational rehabilitation, which is found in every state and is usually housed in the Department of Labor or Human Services, has at least one person fully trained in accessibility. (They are responsible for the Americans with Disabilities Act) and could answer questions about your home as to what can be done to make things easier. Some disability organizations may also have a person trained in adaptations / adaptations, or contact The Practical Expert.com for Tonia, who is well trained in this area and lives it too.
If you belong to a club, consider having it reviewed for suggestions to facilitate access. This helps older adults, people with disabilities, and even people with a temporary injury (such as a person with a broken leg) to attend events like school graduations, join civic organizations, volunteer in places, and go to many types of activities. Many accommodations / accommodations are inexpensive or low-cost that can have a major impact on the people who use the facility. Example, number of disabled places in a school and how far to walk to the gym, etc.
Keeping an eye on how life can be more accessible and safer for older adults, elderly parents, and people with injuries or disabilities means that it is easier and safer for everyone, not just for the present but also for the future.