A Senior’s Home Needs Modification – Home Instead Senior Care
Most elderly people desire to remain independent as long as they can. For a variety of reasons, moving into a nursing home or assisted living facility, or relocating with children or other family members, may make sense, but it’s important to consider the senior’s sense of self. Few seniors feel comfortable in circumstances where they feel like a financial or logistical burden on others. Over 90% of homeowners in the United States who own their own houses wish to “age in place.”
A home can be altered in a number of ways to make it safer or easier to access for an elderly person who is beginning to lose their easy mobility or who already has physical restrictions. Many seniors live in homes that were constructed decades ago, long before architects and designers began to take the needs of the elderly into account when designing homes, thus modifications can occasionally be hard. We might not give a narrow stairway or entryway any thought, but for someone with physical limitations, these obstacles can be insurmountable.
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Assess each room individually to see if a home may be changed adequately, keeping safety and accessibility considerations in mind. Online, there are a number of thorough safety checklists that cover topics like electrical supply, electrical appliances, smoke detectors, and similar topics. Many of these are common sense concerns, like keeping electrical cords as close to walls as possible and making sure that circuits are not overloaded. Consider inviting a certified electrical inspector to check out an older home to make sure the system is secure and compliant.
Is the entire house easily accessible? Make sure that only rarely-used goods are kept on the highest shelves of a closet or cabinet because a senior with limited mobility may not be able to reach them. You might need to install more storage space if the majority of the house’s storage space is inaccessible. Additionally, all plugs and switches must to be within easy reach. Although the current code defines where switches and plugs should be placed, older residences may have them in unusual locations.
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This is a crucial room to thoroughly inspect if the senior living magnolia will still be cooking in the kitchen. Are all of the cabinets accessible? Place goods that are frequently used on lower shelves since the upper shelves may not be reachable. The countertops, are they at a comfortable height? It might be necessary to lower them if they are too high to work comfortably on. It’s likely that installing new cabinetry will be necessary. Are the stove’s controls simple to use? A timer or motion detector can be used to install a device that will turn off an electric stove automatically. If you have a gas stove, you might want to think about upgrading to an electric one since such automated switch-off mechanisms are not yet available for gas stoves. Additionally, check to see that the range hood completely encloses the stovetop and efficiently removes all cooking smoke. If the hood is too small, smoke may escape and pose a danger by entering the kitchen and the rest of the house.
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Another location to look carefully is the restroom. Installing grab bars next to the toilet and in the shower area is generally a good idea. The toilet must be at a comfortable height, which is a little higher than standard toilets. If the bathroom is cluttered, you may want to move some items out. The bathroom should have enough of elbow room. Be mindful of the flooring as well; if it is composed of slippery marble or ceramic tile, you should install small, textured, non-slip ceramic tiles or another surface that won’t be slippery when wet.
Installing a stair lift is necessary if the senior is unable to safely ascend or descend the stairs in the home’s staircase. Lifts are very basic equipment that may be readily removed and folded up for storage when not in use for an extended period of time on straight staircases.
Interior Doorways
Interior doorways should also be taken into account, particularly if the senior utilises a wheelchair or walker to get around. Widening some internal doorways can be necessary. You’ll need to see a building engineer to find out what improvements are either possible or not. Your house remodelling project might not be viable if too many doorways need to be widened or if it would be structurally impossible to widen some doorways.
home instead senior care If you currently have stairs leading to the front door, you might need to put in a ramp outside. The most crucial factor is to integrate the ramp with the surrounding landscaping; if there is an evident wheelchair ramp in front of a house, it is a clear sign that the owner may be a convenient target for criminal activity. Consider a wooden ramp that merges with the deck around the front entrance or a concrete ramp that complements the design of the house. In the garage or at the back of the home, you might be able to “hide” a ramp.
Senior living tomball tx home modifications can be a major undertaking, but if they enable the senior to maintain their independence, they may be well worth the cost.
