first “make your home elderly friendly” idea
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You don’t have to bust your budget to make your home elderly-friendly
Notes:
- The majority of people assume adapting their home for seniors must involve excessive remodeling. So, let’s put your mind at ease right away – it doesn’t. There’s a whole lot of ways to make your home elderly-friendly without breaking your bank.
- In fact, some home improvement ideas for seniors listed here won’t even require any money at all! And, yet, they will enhance their quality of life, make them feel comfortable, and, above all, safe.
- So, let’s review these options first and then move on to "paid" variants:
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Declutter:
Decreased mobility is an unfortunate yet inevitable consequence of aging. This makes every item that’s out of its place a potential health hazard. Therefore, making your home tidy becomes an absolute necessity.
- Fortunately, solving this problem is beyond simple. All you need to do is set some time aside to declutter. It is one of the best, easiest, and cheapest ways to make your home elderly-friendly.
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Rearrange the Furniture:
Bumping into furniture is painful and frustrating even for a person in their prime. However, for the elderly – it’s also dangerous. As they age, their bones become more brittle, and even a minor injury can have dire consequences.
- Therefore, it’s crucial to provide enough maneuvering space and enable unrestricted movement. This is especially important if the elderly need a walking aid, such as a walker or a wheelchair. Luckily enough, this, too, doesn’t require extensive remodeling.
- You can accomplish high maneuverability just by re-staging the furniture. It does take a bit of heavy-lifting and planning, but the result can be more than functional. Not to mention – incredibly good-looking, too!
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Pet-friendly Doesn’t Mean Elderly-Friendly:
Many seniors appreciate the companionship of a four-legged friend. Still, the sad reality is that pet-friendly homes rarely translate to elderly-friendly.
- Now, by no means are we saying that you should get rid of your furry family member. But, if your elderly relative can’t handle an overly energetic puppy or a kamikaze kitten, it’s best to remove them from their immediate vicinity.
- So, choose a happy place in your home, away from common pathways, and turn it into a pet-friendly area. Pet fences for homes are a fantastic choice here. They are cheap, easy to install, modular, and come in a variety of designs. Thus, allowing you to fit them virtually anywhere without sacrificing your home’s looks or functionality.
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| Supporting Resources (opens new win) | |
| HOW TO: make home elderly safe | |
| PINTEREST: elderly home ideas | |
| INFO: senior friendly home ideas | |
| YOUTUBE: how to stay clutter free | |
| SHOP: home n’ garden (scroll) | |
second “photo remodeling” idea
copyright image by envato.com
Let there be (more) light
Notes:
- Some elderly persons retain their sharp sight, even well into old age. Still, in most instances, this is not the case. Therefore, it’s essential to make it easy for them to find their way around, regardless of the time of day.
- Here, you have quite a few options:
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The simplest solutions:
One of the simplest remodeling projects is adding more light to your home. You can:
- Remove the curtains or, at least, make them easy for the elderly to spread. Natural lighting not only makes it easier for them to see but also has many health benefits;
- Replace light bulbs with stronger ones. Easy to do and quite cheap;
- Install task lights throughout the house. Although these aren’t necessary, they make life easier. And they can look amazing, too.
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Light switches:
You can do a lot with light switches to make it easier for the elderly:
- Replace standard switches with rocker switches. They are much more practical;
- Make switches more accessible. Although a good option, this one can get quite expensive;
- Add motion sensors or voice-activated lights. These are non-expensive upgrades that make your home smarter and improve your loved one’s quality of life;
- The last option is to add larger windows or skylights. This is a major remodel and, thus, quite expensive and time-consuming.
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voice activated lightremote control light switchautomated blinds w/ remote
| Supporting Resources (opens new win) | |
| HOW TO: convert to smart switches | |
| WHAT TO: know about auto blinds | |
| YOUTUBE: ways seniors need alexa! | |
May We Suggest Other Photo Remodeling Ideas About
“Helping Loved Ones”
third “photo remodeling” idea
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Floors
Notes:
- Slipping and tripping is a major danger for the elderly. In fact, falls are the most common cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries. Therefore, you should do everything in your power to prevent them.
- To do this, you should remove carpets and throw rugs and coat the floor in nonslip wax. But, if you’re a person that cannot live without carpets, make sure to choose low pile ones. They are much safer and more practical for the elderly.
- One other item:
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Cable Management:
There’s one thing you can’t afford to neglect if you want to make your home elderly-friendly: cables. Every modern home has hundreds of feet worth of cables, often passing through the most inconvenient areas.
- And we don’t have to point out how dangerous this can be. Not for the elderly only – but for everyone. So, cable management, tedious as it is, remains a must.
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| Supporting Resources (opens new win) | |
| HOW TO: make floor non-slip | |
| INFO: prevent cable-related dangers | |
| YOUTUBE: modifications for senior safety | |
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fourth “photo remodeling” idea
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Stairs
Notes:
- Dealing with the stairs is a pain for the elderly. Every day, stairs become more of a challenge to overcome. Therefore, you should make sure to:
- Make all staircases well-lit;
- Place non-slip treads on steps;
- Install handrails on both sides.
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ideas to view and compare from the photo above
stairway non slip treadsindoor stairway lightingstairway handrail
| References (opens new win except noted) | |
| HELP: handyman services (see below) | |
| HOW TO: make stairs elderly safe | |
| INFO: how do stair lifts work? | |
| PLANNING: renovating home (same win) | |
Find Handyman Services (opens new win) Handyman Carpentry Electrical Plumbing top-rated, pre-screened local contractors FREE: download contractor selection enter zip code – powered by HomeAdvisor ™
Quick Contractor Guides selecting negotiating working with inspecting
fifth and last “photo remodeling” idea
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Bathrooms
Notes:
- Almost 30% of all home accidents happen in the bathroom. That’s why this part of the house demands special attention. However, turning it elderly-friendly will take some serious bathroom remodeling:
- Replace bathmats with non-slip variants;
- [ view ideas ]
- Place nonslip treads in the bathtub/shower;
- [ view ideas ]
- Install vertical, U-shaped, or L-shaped grab bars (avoid diagonal ones at all costs);
- [ view L-shape ] [ view U-shape ]
- Install a waterproof seat in the shower;
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- Lower the sink and provide knee clearance;
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- Raise the toilet or replace it with a high-profile one;
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- Alter the entrance to the shower/bathtub to a walk-in.
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| Supporting Resources (opens new win) | |
| HOW TO: make bathroom safe | |
| INFO: bathroom safety tips | |
| YOUTUBE: make a senior’s bathroom safe | |
sixth and last “photo remodeling” idea
copyright image by envato.com
Cherish the time with your loved ones
Notes:
- The sunset years are challenging, regardless of past experiences or achievements. But, the proximity of loved ones makes them easier and enjoyable. So, if you’re wondering if you should make your home elderly-friendly, the answer is the simplest one: Yes.
- The time you have with them is severely limited. And that – that makes every moment precious. Therefore, don’t question or second-guess it. When your golden years catch up and your hair turns grey, it will be one decision you’ll never regret making.
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ideas to view and compare from the photo above
elderly monitoringelderly alert call buttonbird watching kit
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make your home elderly friendly and what your eperience has been
| Supporting Resources (opens new win) | |
| HOW TO: cope with move-in parents | |
| INFO: when it doesn’t work | |
| YOUTUBE: elderly parents moving in | |
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