Remodeling your current home to accommodate your aged parents has become a priority to many homeowners, especially post Covid-19. The pandemic has been an eye-opening time, and it has made people consider modifying their living facilities to ensure a safer home for their senior parents.
It is like baby-proofing your house when you welcome a new baby into your home. Similarly, when you are living with your old parents, you must make some changes to make it aged parent-friendly too.
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Senior Parent-Friendly Home Improvements
There are more ups to having your parents in the same house. However, when you decide to continue having them around permanently, you must consider their comfort, accessibility, and safety.
Many old parents have health issues, mobility limitations, and strict lifestyle requirements, so you must adapt to their living situation and make things easier for them. Now, this isn’t something that can be resolved overnight. You have to plan it according to the layout of your home. This may even demand you reassess your home insurance policy.
If you have to opt for significant installations to support parents’ mobility, such as wheelchair ramps, you’d have to update it in your insurance policy too. Check whether it is included in your current insurance plan; if not, you have to upgrade it to support these home modifications. It’s also a great idea to look into stairlift pricing if that’s something you are considering adding.
You should only make these changes when you are ready to commit to it for the long term. Let’s look at some of the most common senior parent-friendly home improvements.
1. Sliding Doors Over Traditional Doors
Sliding doors are more aged parent-friendly, period. For unfortunate medical emergencies, such as someone falling over, slipping, or just losing consciousness, sliding doors enable paramedics to enter the premises quickly.
They are a better choice than traditional doors if you have old parents at home. Plus, they are space-savers too.
2. Lever Handles & Grab Bars
To increase the house’s functionality, you can install supporting tools such as lever handles or grab bars to make their mobility easier. These senior-friendly counterparts are designed for people who need extra supporting aids to climb stairs and walk around safely, especially on slippery surfaces such as the bathroom.
You can set up lever handles and grab bars in places where your aged parents need that extra hand to lower their body or stand up from a sitting position, maintaining their balance at all times. These tiny little changes can help a lot to ensure their safety and are designed to prevent falls and slips.
3. Brighten It Up
When you have old parents at home, it’s highly suggested to modify your house lighting to improve visibility around the house. If you are fond of warm lights, you might have to brighten up the place. Senior parents need maximum lighting to see their surroundings. It should be 2-3 times more than regular room lighting.
When you improve the brightness of your home, change the rooms they have access to, and turn these common rooms into a much more age-resistant kitchen and living.
4. Hazard-free Entryway
Everyone likes to have something pretty and decorative near their home’s main entrance. It’s an excellent way to welcome guests, and you also feel at home when you walk past your entrance that’s thoughtfully decorated. However, it is not ideal for senior parents, particularly if they require a wheelchair for mobility.
You should ensure that your entrance is nice and clear for them to get around, minimizing any hazardous items that can cause them to fall or get stuck. Keep in mind that your old parent should be able to easily get inside and outside the house with their wheelchairs without colliding with any obstructions. Items like welcome mats, large plants, table tops, or any furniture can be hazardous.
5. Anti-Slip Floors
Living with senior family members in the same house means you must make changes to support their living. This also includes ensuring that the floors of your house are slip-resistant. Slippery floors can be a massive danger for your old parents. Marbles and tiles are aesthetically pleasing but not ideal for older adults to walk around.
As you know, senior family members have a hard time maintaining balance while moving, and slippery floors can add to that risk of falling.
This goes for wet bathroom floors, ultra-smooth surfaces, or uneven platforms. To prevent such mishaps, opt for laminate or hardwood floors.
Conclusion
Many other senior-friendly features can make your home more accommodating for your parents. However, this list includes the most crucial ones that are budget-friendly too. By making these simple modifications in your home, you can ensure the safety of your senior family members.
If you want to explore other senior-friendly renovation tips for your old parents, you can talk to professional companies who offer products and services to facilitate you with medical equiments and tools.
Good luck!