Make Your Home Senior Friendly -

Many homes built in suburbia are great for families. This article will help make your home senior friendly. Once you get into assisted living or caring for someone who uses a wheelchair for example, there are many new considerations to put into place. You can make your home senior friendly with these helpful tips. From the entry to the bedroom there are plenty of obstacles that make aging in place difficult.

Let’s start from the outside.

Often overlooked, cracked and uneven sidewalks, and patios create a dangerous situation for those who use a cane or walker. To make your home safer for senior living, consider re-paving with non-slip surfaces. This may include ramping up stairways, or even threshold steps. If you have stairs and cannot put in a ramp, add rails on both sides of the steps, no more than 36 inches apart if possible. The rails should be no smaller than 1.5″ in diameter to accommodate better grip. Most front doors are set at 42″ wide. If yours is less than 36″ wide you should consider widening it to accommodate wheelchairs and power chairs. This is actually a good practice throughout the home.

Living Area

Light, light and plenty of it. Consider having lights pointing to the locks on the doors, open curtains or use thin drapes to diffuse lighting into the room. Add motion-sensitive lights to all areas. Give your rooms a view. If you don’t have much of a view out the windows, consider adding window boxes outside for plants. Using insect repellent plants like Marigolds, Citronella Grass, Lavender, Basil and Chrysanthemums. These plants not only deter pests but also provide a subtle fragrance. Light and environment are easy steps to make your home senior friendly.

What’s Cookin’ Good Lookin?

The kitchen is the center of any great home. Aging family members deserve a functional kitchen they will adore. Your goal is to increase accessibility and prevent bending and crouching.

Manual dexterity decreases as we age. So make the appliances work for them, not the other way around.

Switch to kitchen appliances with easy-to-read controls and simple-to-use push button interfaces.
Convert to a side swing or wall oven. This will allow for easy access to the oven and make sure seniors don’t need to lift heavy items over the hot door.
Microwave drawers are a great addition to the aging in place home. They allow for easier access and increase your countertop real estate.

Ensure there is easy access to the items in the pantry.

Change to an open shelving design for easier access to frequently used items.
Convert to glass cabinet doors so your loved one can identify items without effort.
Use Lazy Susans and roll out trays to create increased accessibility.

Focus on faucets. Make sinks easier to use and keep safe from water burns.

Install pressure-balanced valves to provide water at steady temperatures regardless of pressure fluctuations.
Take the next step and set the hot water heater temperature to 120 degrees.
Insulate any exposed hot water pipes.
Convert to a single lever kitchen faucet and install pedal-controlled faucets for easier use.