Whether you’re looking for yourself or you want an older relative to be able to stay in their home for longer, you’ll be glad to know that there are plenty of things you can do to make a home more accessible. Lots of people want to stay in their home for as long as possible as opposed to moving into residential care, so here are 3 changes to make to an older persons home.
De-Clutter
When moving around gets a little harder, it can be easy to trip or lose your balance and in an older person, this can result in a pretty nasty injury. If you or a loved one want to stay in your own home as you get older then decluttering is a must. For starters, you may want to make use of mobility aids such as a walking stick or frame and these take up room. Do what you can to make sure access to rooms is as easy as possible; with doorways and hallways completely clutter-free.
Think Accessibility
You should also give thought to the whole house and how an older person may get around. Do you need handrails in any areas or perhaps a stool in the kitchen so they can sit down? Age Co homelifts are a great alternative to a stairlift and make going up and downstairs in your home easy. Many people assume that their home is simply not big enough for a lift, but you would be surprised at just how much space they need to be installed, so they’re definitely something worth considering and looking in to.
Technology
Technology is so advanced these days that it would be silly not to take advantage of this. For example, smart heating means that you can monitor things from your home and make sure that your relatives home is warm enough. An Echo Dot means that they can easily call someone and a ring doorbell gives them peace of mind that they’re not going to be opening the door to a stranger.
These might seem like small changes but to an older person that wants to stay living at home, they make all the difference.
If you have any ideas on changes to make to an older persons home we would love you to share them below
*Collaborative post