9 Tips for Aging in Place: Making Home Safe and Comfortable for Elderly Family Members
Many older adults prefer staying at home as they get older. It’s comfortable, familiar, and well, home. But even if they choose to age in place, it doesn’t mean their home is set up to keep them safe. What was once a minor safety hazard (like that rug with a curled corner) can now turn into a significant issue for an older adult.
And now you have to figure out what needs to be done to make their home hazard free. It can feel like a lot.
So to help, we’ve put together a list of changes you can make to your elderly family member’s home.
Home Modifications for Aging in Place
Modify the bathroom
Your elderly family member may need several changes to their bathroom to make it more accessible and safe. Especially since it is the room with the most potential for severe slips or falls.
You’ll want to consider:
Installing a raised toilet seat
Adding in non-slip mats or rugs
Adding non-slip strips or mats to the bathtub/shower
Adding a walk-in shower or bathtub with a door
Adding a seat to the shower
Installing a hand-held showerhead
Upgrade the kitchen
To make an older adult’s kitchen more accessible, you’ll need to make some changes that help them open cabinets & drawers and keep them from bending down too much.
You’ll want to think about:
Installing pull-out shelves
Lowering some of the countertops (so they can sit & stand)
Installing a wall-mounted oven
Replacing handles with C or D-shaped ones
Checking all fire alarms
Install grab bars & handrails
Grab bars and handrails best go in areas where an older adult may need more balance or extra support – like in the bathroom or near stairs.
Ask them what places in their home they use the wall or grab furniture for support. These can be potential areas to install a grab bar or handrail.
Remove tripping hazards
Loose rugs, wrinkled carpeting, or cracks in the driveway are all potential tripping hazards for your elderly family member.
Add slip-resistant backing to rugs. Or remove the rugs and carpet and replace them with slip-resistant flooring. And have the driveway cracks filled in.
Improve lighting
Another potential tripping hazard is poor lighting. Make sure your elderly family member’s home is well-lit – especially in areas where they spend a lot of time.
You may even consider having motion-activated lights installed in hallways and other high-traffic areas to make it easier to see at all times.
Adjust the furniture
There are several ways you can change the furniture to make a home safer for aging in place.
You can rearrange the furniture to make clear pathways through the home (eliminating places they may trip over a piece of furniture).
You can also lower the heights of beds and chairs so it’s easier to sit and stand.
Install a stairlift
Stairs inside your elderly family member’s home are a hazard they’ll navigate daily. Take out the risk by having a stairlift that will take them safely between floors.
Or you could look at installing a home elevator.
Create a step-free entryway
Steps at the front or back entryways are hazards for tripping and falling. To make it safer to enter and exit their home, look at:
Installing a ramp if they use a wheelchair or walker
Installing a porch lift or vertical platform lift
Automate the home
With home automation, your aging parents or family member can control the lighting, change the temperature, and adjust other features in their home with voice commands or a mobile device.
Plus, if you add a medical alert system, they can call for help should they fall or have an emergency.
And bonus! You can set it up so you can remotely check in on them and receive alerts to any emergencies.
Not sure where to start with these changes? Let Mango Management take care of it for you.
It’s hard enough seeing your parent or loved one get older. But it’s even harder when adding on all the additional tasks of maintaining and modifying their home.
At Mango Management, we’ll take on these home projects so you can focus your energy on your older loved one. And breathe easier knowing their home is safe and comfortable.