You have finally talked with your aging or frail loved one and convinced them that the best course for them to stay as healthy as possible and safe is to move in with you. However, is your home equipped for the upcoming changes you and they will face? You will need to make some modifications to your home if your loved one is going to live with you for the long term. With increasing age comes a variety of circumstances that could possibly hamper their movement as well as their safety.
You can expect balance issues, trouble with hearing and vision, disorientation, limited mobility of the arms, hands, feet and/or legs and more. Simple modifications in your home can ensure your loved one will be able to get around a lot easier, more safely and also give them a modicum of independence. Dim lighting, slippery floors and sidewalks, narrow or steep steps, exposed electrical cords, roaming animals and more can all increase the risk of falling and other injuries. There are a number of assistive mobility devices as well as other changes you can make around the home to ensure the safety of your loved one and make caregiving a whole lot easier on you. Here are some thoughts to ponder:
1. As balance is a huge problem as we age, identify all the slippery surfaces in and around your home and take measures to fix them. For instance, area rugs that are scattered throughout your home could easily cause someone to slip and slide around or at the very least trip. Smooth concrete on outside sidewalks, steps and patio areas may require either some roughing up or frictions strips for foot traction. Finally, bathtubs and showers are the leading cause of injury so you should install non-skid adhesive skid-proof appliqués or rubberized foot mats.
2. Handrails will also solve balance problems, particularly in several areas of the home such as the front steps, staircases and even hallways. In addition, grab bars around the bathtub and shower along with the toilet are important because levering up and down can be quite an issue as your loved one may not have enough strength to do so on their own.
3. Mobility and arthritis issues may require some adaptations to things that already exist in your home. Moving around and manipulating objects that require fine motor skills eventually become problems as we age. You can make your caregiving role a lot easier by making these two issues easier on your loved one. Replace door handles as well as water faucet handles that require the hand to grip and turn in circular fashion. Instead, install lever handles that just require an up and down motion with the hand or some other body part.
Detachable, handheld shower heads are available so that your loved one can sit in the shower instead of standing. There are also seats for the shower that are adjustable depending on your loved one’s needs. Purchase more phone extensions and put them in the bathroom or other places for easy answering. The rods in the closet which can be adjusted are important as well, especially if a loved one cannot stand for any length of time. Clothes could be reached from a sitting position, such as a wheelchair.
4. When your loved one has vision problems, you will need to make certain things more accessible to them, in spite of their vision. Night lights along a hallway, in a bathroom, kitchen or some other room allows your loved one to see in the dark during their nightly trip to the bathroom or kitchen for a snack. Light switches can be found in a variety of formats (most large ones) so that those with vision impairment can see them. Magnified peep holes in the doors allow them to see who is knocking on their door.
Before your loved one moves in, inspect your home for possible hazards and get everything possible fixed. There are even consultants you can hire to help you identify trouble areas. Just remember - the changes are not only for your loved one’s safety but also your own.
