Deciding to care for an elderly loved one is nowhere easy. Since they tend to be fragile, you need to make sure your home will be a safer place to live in. There is lots of adjustment to make, and oftentimes, you may need to tackle home improvements to accommodate their special needs.
When getting your home ready for the move in, this is the perfect time to tackle home improvements. Now, you have the perfect excuse to improve your home. The good news is that you can even take advantage of certain medical tax deductions if some of your projects are made for medical reasons. To best prepare your home for a senior loved one, here are some projects that you can include on your list:
Ramp, railing, and support bar installations
Does your loved one need support when navigating hallways? Are they often seated in their wheelchair? Then ramps, support bars, and railings are a good way to help make their stay a more convenient one. They will need less help navigating the house and can retain their independence if you install these modifications. You can even hire the services of a local company offering custom metal fabrication in Utah to create beautiful but sturdy railings for your home.
Door and hallway widening
If your doors and hallways are too narrow to fit a walker or wheelchair or cannot accommodate two to three people at a time, then widening may be a necessary project to tackle. It is important to consider if there is a need to move anything for the project to push through. For best results, hiring carpenters is a good investment to make sure that the new doors and hallways are sturdy enough.
Door upgrade
Seniors may find it hard to grip old doorknobs, which makes it a must to change these to levers or invest in doorknob grips instead. If they are now having a hard time using keys, then a keyless entry system can help. If you have sliding doors, then it is best to maintain them in tip-top shape to ensure their easy access. Aside from widening your door, check if any doors are misaligned. The harder it is for your senior loved one to open or close a door, the more at risk they can be for falls.
Floor Upgrade
Slippery and uneven floors are a big no-no for homes with senior residents. Many experts recommend rubber floors. These are not only very soft to walk on; they also tend to be slip-resistant.
Lighting upgrade
Elderly people need their homes to be well-lit to avoid slips, trips, and falls. You may need to change all of your light bulbs to make sure that they can perfectly see where they are heading. Install motion-detector lights in hallways so that they can easily navigate the house even at night. You can also change your light switches to those that glow in the dark. They can easily tell where the lights switches are and make it easier to go around the house even at night.
Seniors have varying needs. But their safety is your number priority now that your elderly loved one is under your care. By keeping this list in mind, you’ll have a better idea of what home improvements you can do to make their stay safer and more convenient.
