CREATING A SAFE AND COMFORTABLE HOME FOR YOUR GOLDEN YEARS

Practical Tips and Strategies for Seniors and Their Families to Adapt Their Homes for Independent Living.

Did You Know?

According to the “National Poll on Healthy Aging”, 88% of adults between the ages of 50 and 80 would prefer to stay in their current home for as long as possible.

Did you also know that only 15% of those have strongly considered what modifications need to be made in order to make that possible?

IF YOU HAD THE OPTION TO GROW OLD IN YOUR HOME, WOULD YOU?

Choosing to stay in your current home as you grow older can offer a range of benefits that contribute to your overall well-being. It can allow you to remain socially engaged in your community, foster a sense of belonging and connection and keep you independent longer positively impacting your mental and physical health. Moreover, it can be a more cost-effective option in the long run. If you have a strong social circle within your community, easy access to necessities, the ability to handle typical home upkeep, and the capability to live independently with minimal assistance, aging in place may be right for you.

It’s Time To Make a Plan To Safely Age in Place

Though you are likely currently healthy and able, acting now can help prevent injuries and allow you to preserve your quality of life keeping you in your home for as long as possible. When it comes to aging in place gracefully and safely, making thoughtful changes to your living environment now is key.

10 Ways to Make Your Home Safer And More Comfortable as You Age.

Relocate your bedroom and bathroom to the 1st-floor

A first-floor bedroom and bathroom bring an abundance of benefits for aging adults by providing safe and easy access to essential areas of the home. It also promotes independence and autonomy, allowing you to perform daily tasks without relying on assistance. Moreover, it reduces physical strain and fatigue by eliminating the need to climb stairs. By proactively relocating these spaces, you can future-proof your home and minimize the need for relocation when physical mobility becomes an issue. In addition to creating a more functional and age-friendly living environment, it also ensures prompt access during emergency situations.

Adjust your countertops

Adjusting your countertop height can improve comfort, accessibility, and safety in your daily activities. You can reduce strain and fatigue on the body, making tasks like cooking and cleaning more comfortable. Ensuring essential surfaces are within easy reach effectively reduces the risk of accidents. Determining if you need to lower the countertop or raise the height depends on your individual needs. You can discuss these needs with an interior designer specializing in Universal Design to understand the benefits of each option.

Install an Accessible Shower

You can create a safe and stylish oasis that caters to your needs as you age in place by incorporating these shower features.

Curbless Shower with Custom Bench: The smooth and seamless entryway of a curbless entry shower, eliminates tripping hazards while ensuring effortless access for walkers and wheelchairs. This custom bench offers a comfortable spot to rest tired legs and provides a safe seating area for those who have trouble standing for long periods of time.

Handheld Shower Fixture: Perfect for those hard-to-reach places and great for cleaning the shower, this feature ensures a clean and safe bathing environment allowing you to reach every nook and cranny effortlessly.

Easy-to-Clean Porcelain Panels: Large porcelain panels don't just add an elegant touch to your shower—they also make cleaning a breeze. Porcelain panel showers offer reduced grout allowing you to spend less time cleaning and more time enjoying your shower. Contrary to classic shower surrounds or cultured marble, porcelain panels have a more luxurious look so you can have convenience and style all in one.

Wheelchair and Walker-Friendly Glass Door: This thoughtfully designed glass door swings in both directions allowing easy entry and exit for wheelchair or walker users eliminating barriers and promoting independence.

Install grab bars in the shower and other areas of the home

Grab bars provide reliable support and stability, reducing the risk of slips, falls, and accidents. By strategically installing grab bars in areas such as bathrooms, hallways, and stairwells, aging individuals can navigate their living space with confidence and ease. These bars offer essential assistance when standing up, sitting down, or maintaining balance, promoting a secure and accessible living environment for aging adults.

Widen doorways and shorten hallways

Wider doorways can enhance your living environment by promoting accessibility, maneuverability, and independence. With more space to navigate, one can easily pass through door frames with mobility aids and reduce tripping hazards between rooms. Wider doorways also future-proof the home for changing mobility needs by providing ample space for caregivers and necessary medical equipment.

Make room for a walker or wheelchair in the bathroom

To make room for a walker or wheelchair, an interior designer can help you rearrange the floor plan of your bathroom. With a few minor changes, you could potentially avoid the need to expand its footprint. You may also consider adding a pocket door that slides neatly into the wall to make an easily accessible doorway and increase space for entry and exit.

Move the laundry up to the 1st floor

You can reduce the strain on your knees and continue your day-to-day tasks with ease without the need to carry baskets up and down the stairs. Often times an unused closet can be converted to laundry or you can incorporate it into the design of your first-floor bathroom suite.

Reduce flooring transitions

Remove old carpet and replace it with a slip-resistant LVP throughout the house to create seamless flooring from one room to another. This will reduce tripping hazards by eliminating flooring transitions allowing mobility aids to move freely throughout.

Install A smart home device.

Now that you have made the physical changes to your space, installing a device such as Alexa, Google Home or the Home Pod can make a huge difference in maintaining your day-to-day routine. Use it to set appointment alerts, remind yourself to take medications or other important things you want to remember throughout the day. You can also set your grocery lists for delivery and have the ability to call for help by using simple voice commands.

Organize and Declutter

And lastly, a fresh remodel deserves a fresh start. Hire a professional or bring in a friend to help declutter your home. Wide open spaces reduce stress, make moving around more manageable, and reduce tripping hazards. If you are sentimental about particular objects or furniture pieces, pass them along to a family member or friend who will take great care of them.

Are you ready to make a plan to age in place?

Choose to age gracefully while staying true to your unique sense of style. With Odell Construction, you will work one on one with a designer who will create a plan to redesign your home based on your needs. Once the design is complete there is no need to find a contractor to complete the work! An in-house project manager and construction crew will take it from there, ensuring a worry-free experience as you transform your home into a haven that reflects your lifestyle allowing you to safely and gracefully age in place. Request a consultation today.