As people get older, their homes tend to conform to their needs. Age can bring with it much wisdom, but also a few physical challenges that need to be considered. Most elderly individuals would like to live in their homes as long as they can, so it’s good to prepare this area with as many tools and utilities as possible, without damaging the aesthetic and joy of living there.
As a younger relative is more able to put these plans in place and oversee the budget for installing them, it can be nice to also point your parents to small conveniences that help them live cleanly. Sure, you most likely know about stairlifts and walk-in shower units with in-built seating, which can be especially important for those in their older years.
But that’s hardly the end of the story. But how do you balance function with comfort, convenience, and reduced maintenance with a pleasant living environment? In this post, we’ll offer a few suggestions to help you get there:
Accessible Bathroom Modifications
We’ve mentioned the sit-in shower, but this isn’t the only utility you could use. Of course, trip hazards become much more serious in our older years, which is why having a form of alarm system that can be pulled, even if fallen over, to request help can be so important. Many of these alert systems can help call the medical authorities and ensure appropriate care is rendered. You can also add more handholds, braces and even raised toilet seats for comfort. In addition, you might implement textured flooring.
Of course, if the household has no toilet space on the first floor, then converting the space so there is will be important. This means the bathroom can be reached more easily without necessarily climbing the stairs or using tools to do so. Accessibility is the name of the game.
Home Security & Surveillance Systems
Security matters in a home with elderly individuals, because disgustingly, some thieves may view them as a weaker target. This is where video doorbell cameras, motion-sensitive floodlights, reinforced windows, and easy smartphone services for calling the authorities can be so helpful. Standard measures such as burglar alarms can be helpful, too.
With some app-controlled doorbell cameras, you may also be able to gain access, so you can help see who is coming and going or offer advice when needed. It’s important to make sure your relatives know the exact reasons for putting surveillance in place, and that you agree to share any mutual functionality like that as appropriate.
Landscaping For Safety & Accessibility
Gardening gets tougher as you get older, for obvious reasons. This means that your elderly relatives may struggle to do much more than watering their hanging flower baskets. It’s good to open a healthy dialogue about how to manage their garden. In some cases, this can be as simple as offering a local child in the neighborhood an allowance for mowing the lawn.
In other cases, taking measures to prevent the need for such maintenance while retaining the garden as a space to relax can be important. Some decide to take more drastic measures like astroturfing the garden, which can retain that green comfort while never being affected by heavy rainfall and never needing to be mowed. You can also implement features that help a garden with any incline become more navigable, such as handrails, paths, or even leveling the ground to be more stable.
Heating & Fireplaces
Elderly people tend to feel the cold more sharply than most, which is why their homes need to be warm and to retain that heat. Insulation is a good place to start, as any heating leaked through unattended holes is going to be a waste of money first, and a waste of heat second.
You can also implement measures like electric wall heaters for cheaper comfort throughout the winter months, while AC units can also be used to heat specific rooms when needed. Fireplaces can be a wonderful addition to any home, but real wood burners can not only be difficult to maintain and clean correctly, but some areas might have environmentally-conscious restrictions on burning firewood.
A good alternative is installing the best electric fireplace, a system that not only looks beautiful but can add wonderful heating to the room itself, achieving the desired effect. This means your loved relatives never have to tire of trying to feel comfort on a cold winter’s night.
Professional Home Cleaning Services
Cleaning a home is a hard task, and it can be a little too much for your elderly relatives to keep up with. That’s not to say they’re unhygienic, but difficult tasks like scrubbing the bathtub, cleaning the windows or moving large furniture and cleaning behind it can be uncomfortable for able-bodied people, let alone people over the age of eighty.
That’s where it’s helpful to implement professional home cleaning services, hiring someone you can trust. This is also a nice social visit from someone your relatives appreciate. You can split the cost between you if you hope to make it more sustainable. This also means that in the long run, your relatives don’t have to live in an uncomfortable and less-than-clean environment. Make sure you’re clear of what those cleaning services involve, and you might even bind them to other helpful services such as brands that offer regular meal delivery.
Bonus: Book A Professional Home Safety Assessment
You might use a safety inspector to check out all areas of the house and make sure it’s fit for your relatives to live in. It might be that a loose step on the basement staircase, shoddy wiring in one of the sockets, or even damp in the attic needs attendance, and if you’re busy you might not catch all of that either. Booking a professional safety test can prevent issues from accumulating and causing problems.
With this advice, you’re certain to make the right investments in an elderly relative’s phone, comfortable in the knowledge that they’ll remain as safe as possible.
Leave a Reply