To get your home ready when it’s time to bring a senior loved one to live with you can feel like an overwhelming project to consider. However, planning ahead can ensure it goes smoothly. Here are things you can do to get your home ready for the big day!
Remove fall hazards around the house
Ensure you’ve removed all fall hazards around the house before your relative moves in. Start by decluttering your home, removing miscellaneous items that you may not need anymore. Decluttering and organizing your home has the added benefit of reducing anxiety.
You can also rearrange furniture to create a more open space to navigate. Remove rugs that don’t have sufficient grip on the floor and replace them with non-slip mats instead.
Determine if a remodel is necessary
Perhaps what your home really needs to be more move-in ready is a bit of remodeling to make it more practical and functional for your senior loved one’s needs. Furthermore, out of all the rooms in your home, it’ll probably be the bathroom and kitchen that may require the most amendments, depending on how senior-friendly these areas are to use.
For instance, in the bathroom, you might want to consider installing an accessible shower that you can customize to fit their needs.
You can also add handrails around the bath or shower. Consider replacing slippery floor tiles with more textured ones. When it comes to the kitchen, cupboards and shelving may need to be lowered for easy accessibility. Additionally, you could upgrade faucet handles to levers for better usability. You should also increase visibility around stairs and keep them clear.
When investing in tools and products that will help make your home safer, turn to sites that offer recommendations and home product reviews to ensure you make the right choice.
Lighting is crucial
Make sure that all rooms within your home (including the exterior) have sufficient lighting in hard-to-see areas. Depending on your lighting requirements and how many lighting fixtures you need to install, you could tackle this project yourself, or you could enlist the help of an electrician to help you determine the best placements for these lighting fixtures.
Can they manage stairs?
One of the biggest considerations is whether your family member can manage any steps that lead into the home or to living areas of the home. A small step might be managed with a ramp. More than a few inches would be better overcome with a vertical platform lift which will help them easily enter and leave the home.
Sufficiently preparing your home for when your senior loved one comes to live with you may require planning ahead of time. However, it needn’t be too difficult with all the helpful resources available nowadays. Furthermore, you’ll have peace of mind knowing that your renovated home is a safe sanctuary for your loved one, too.
When looking to install an accessible shower, you want the highest quality. Freedom Showers offers quality products that help you feel comfortable and safe. Check out our line today!
Submitted by Clair Wentz from caringfromafar.com