5 Home Modifications to Help Seniors Age in Place

In the previous post, we discussed bathroom modifications you can make to improve the safety of your senior loved ones. This time, we’ll talk about further home improvements that can allow your elderly relatives to live independently as they age at their own homes. Whether you’re living with them or not, these modifications will benefit them greatly.

If you have a senior relative who insists on living with you or on their own, you can bring up these suggestions to make sure they live with ease as they choose. Take a look at five changes that can be made to their homes in order to allow your elderly loved one to age in place.

Install smooth, durable flooring

The risk of slips and falls can be reduced if the home has the right flooring. The solution to this is choosing flooring material that offers slip resistance, ease of travel, minimal maintenance, and comfort, and maybe shock absorption as well. Typically, wood or tile floors serve this purpose. Depending on which room of the house you will use, your priorities might be different. For instance, slip resistance matters more in the bathroom or kitchen, while comfort might be more important in the living room and bedroom. Help your senior loved one decide on the kind of flooring that they choose with these in mind.

Add more windows to let the light in

Impaired vision can cause accidents when not supported with proper lighting. Besides installing the right light fixtures, it will help if you have a lot of natural light in your home for your elderly loved ones. If you feel like your senior relative’s home can use more windows, bring it up with them and encourage them to add more and open them to allow natural light into the home. This will help aid their vision and let them move freely and without worry in and around their house.

Move the bedroom and bathroom to the main level

If it’s possible to design a new floor plan that will allow your elderly relative to stay on the first floor of your or their house, it’s best to do it. Making the main level their prime living space will allow them to live independently and safely, as well as avoid accidents in the long run. Having both their bedroom and bathroom accessible on the first floor will limit the need to let them go up and down the stairs on their own, reducing the risk of slips and falls.

Add railings at entrances and exits

Installing hand railings will help encourage mobility for your senior loved ones. These subtle installations, which you can adapt according to their surroundings to make them even more inconspicuous, will allow them to navigate the perimeter of their homes easily. If they had problems going up and down the steps of your house before, it will be more accessible for them now. They will definitely enjoy that kind of independence and motivate them to move around more.

Widen doorways and hallways

One key adaptation that a home can do to prepare for a senior loved one’s later years is by ensuring that hallways and doorways are as navigable as possible. If you anticipate that your elderly relative will end up using a wheelchair or a walker, it’s best to make these changes as early as possible. This will help keep everything accessible for them moving forward.

If you want to help your senior loved one by introducing some mobility solutions, we at Western Stairlifts can help! Talk to us for a free evaluation! Simply call us on: 801-386-2408.