Making home modifications for seniors isn’t as easy as most people think. First and foremost you need to think about your personal safety. Something as simple as lighting can make a massive difference in the life of an elderly person, even if it’s only for peace of mind.
Of course, all the safety installations in the world won’t account for much if your home is challenging to navigate. Independent living for older adults is all about making it as easy as possible to live each day with items such as ramps, widened hallways, and grab bars.
Aging in place also requires that a level of comfort be afforded to you if you choose to do so. When assisting a senior loved one or patient, special care needs to be paid to your comfort level. This means physical comfort, but mental comfort also plays a critical role in modern care.
It can feel like there is so much to get done when assisting with age at home seniors. But this reference guide has all you need to know about enhancing safety, accessibility and comfort, from recommended risk assessments to home adjustments and enhancing independence.
Home Modifications for Safety
Kicking things off we have to talk about safety. The safety of seniors while in your own home is vital. By maximizing safety you can ensure there is more independence and a lowered risk of something terrible happening. According to the CDC, around 1 million older adults end up in the ER each year because of simple things like a fall[1]. When aging in place, you must be made safe in your home by addressing simple risks such as bad lighting and the possibility of slipping.
Standard Safety Modification Guidance
There are many immediate dangers around the home. For an able adult, these can be extremely hazardous. Yet, for an older person with serious health problems, they can be fatal. Remodeling the living space will allow you to accommodate significant changes in the home. However, this is costly and disturbing to some seniors. Fortunately, common sense will prevail when making a home safer, and you can vastly reduce risk by assessing each room separately.
Recommended Safety Home Modifications for Seniors
So, as we’ve established, safety is paramount when making home modifications for seniors. So how do you begin? There are some vital first changes that will enhance the safety of the home and reduce the risk of something happening to you as a senior, a patient, or a loved one:
- Home modifications for safety begin with something as simple as adequate lighting.
- Grab bars and handrails help prevent falls in the bedroom, bathroom, and stairway.
- Non-slip flooring provides extra stabilization when walking or using walking aids.
- Medical alert systems raise the alarm if a senior injures themselves at home.
- Smart devices can monitor heart rates and even remind seniors to take medication.
These are just some of the first major considerations when adapting a home for independent living for older adults. The home must be well-lit and maintained as such. This includes being able to switch on the lights! No slip flooring helps reduce falls, and devices can send alerts.
Top Tips for Safety Modifications
There are many changes you might need to make when adapting your home for senior care. From the National Council on Aging, here we have some quick tips to consider. None of these are particularly challenging to get started with, and will make your home much safer:
Use a home safety checklist
Using a room-by-room checklist, you can assess the safety of each area. Use the checklist to note potential hazards and modifications that can help to make the room safer for a senior.
Have an emergency system in place
There are many modifications you can make that will assist in an emergency. A home security system gives peace of mind while a medical alert system offers expert assistance if needed.
Install safety features in the most used areas
Most of us stick to a small area of our home. When assessing a senior home for safety, pay attention to these. Install non-slip pads on stairs, secure heavy furniture, and check the lighting.
Source: https://www.ncoa.org/adviser/sleep/home-safety-older-adults/
Considering the Safety of Older Adults
When making home adaptations for the elderly, there are some considerations that must be made. Assessing each room on an individual basis will help maximize the safety. Think about how and when a room is used, and go from there. Slippery surfaces, hard-to-reach items and even lighting can cause problems when not addressed properly. These can all be remedied with proper care and attention. However, it will also help to use smart tech for medical monitoring.
Accessibility Home Modifications
When choosing aging in place, you want your home to be as accessible as possible. This means ensuring things are just as easily used and reached as they always have been. This also means making some minor or major changes to your home. However, shockingly, only 10% of the 115 million housing units in the US are suitable to accommodate the elderly[2]. So, there’s a good chance you will need to make necessary adjustments to ensure you can use your home.
Accessibility Guidance when Modifying the Home
Adjustments that can make your home more accessible can be minor jobs or major tasks. Depending on your personal circumstances, medical needs, and abilities, it can be as simple as installing a few handrails or lowering surfaces and widening hallways. However, for most, accessibility typically comes down to access to the property. Ramps and rails are the most common installations, and these can make a massive difference to your aging in your home.
Recommended Accessibility Home Modifications for Seniors
Making home modifications for seniors at home is not always as simple as adding a wheelchair ramp. There are many considerations that can allow you to use your home as normally as possible, almost as if nothing has changed. Here are a few common accessibility examples:
- Widened doors and hallways make it easier for a wheelchair to navigate.
- Simple ramps can make a huge difference for seniors who have walking challenges.
- A stair lift is an excellent option when someone has trouble getting to higher floors.
- Walk-in baths and shower compartments give some independence back to a senior.
- Rearranged bathrooms and kitchen areas will help seniors use these areas better.
Wheelchair users can find it more agreeable to have doorways and hallways widened to accommodate them. If you have trouble with stairs, stair lifts, and elevators make getting from one floor to another much easier, greatly enhancing independent living for older adults.
Expert Tips When Modifying for Accessibility
There is no one answer when it comes to accessibility because your needs will be different for someone else. Accessibility is deeply personal, however, there are some expert opinions that you can consider. From the National Institute of Aging, consider these expert recommendations:
Plan ahead for aging care
It is best to think what you or a loved one will need before things get worse. You can then make changes gradually to accommodate needs and also think about any required medical care.
Consider the everyday needs of a senior
Every case is different. Some seniors will need help with personal care, meals, and even money management. Arrange the home and install items that make these everyday tasks easier.
Don’t be afraid to find support
Accessibility at home is a major change for seniors and caregivers. There is often support available from family and friends, doctors and community resources. All you have to do is ask.
Source: https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/aging-place/aging-place-growing-older-home
Home Modifications for Comfort
After all the medical advice, home adjustments, and safety installations, you just want to be comfortable in your own home. Aging in place means you have the option to do that! And you aren’t alone. Surveys have found that around 77% of seniors desire to stay at home for the long term as they get older[3]. If this is something you are thinking about, then having your home as comfortable as possible is the right way to go about it. But how can you achieve this?
Some Guidance on Modifying for Comfort
Safety features are almost universal, and we can’t argue with most of them. However, like accessibility, comfort is really an individual thing. What makes you comfortable may not necessarily apply to someone else. But with that in mind, it helps to prioritize your individual needs and comfort before anything else, as long as it doesn’t contradict safety. Some thighs to consider are single-level living, furniture arrangement and comfy chairs and/or adjustable beds.
Recommended Comfort Home Modifications for Seniors
So, you might be thinking of making some modifications to your home for seniors. But what exactly does this mean when thinking about comfort? There is no real answer because comfort is subjective. However, there are some home comfort ideas you can think about, such as:
- Voice-controlled smart tech for an extra level of comfort and independence.
- Adjustable bed frames that offer support to seniors with back and muscle issues.
- The repositioning of furniture for a more comfortable way to navigate the home.
- Single-level living to ensure everything you need is available in a smaller area.
- Accessibility and safety home modifications to help prevent issues from getting worse.
There are a few ways you can approach comfort when modifying a home for independent living for older adults. Being comfortable also reduces your reliance on others. For example, adjustable bed frames can relieve pressure while in bed without the need for assistance.
Expert Tips About Modifying for Comfort
While comfort is subjective, there are a few things that apply to pretty much all of us. Some of these should be considered when making plans to adjust your home for comfort as a senior. From the Cleveland Clinic, here are some expert suggestions for a more comfortable home:
Keep surroundings familiar
Seniors who choose care at home want to be comfortable. There is significant and undue stress when things change too much. Try to keep their home as familiar as possible for peace of mind.
Focus on independence
There is lost dignity in having the need for someone to help with personal care. Adapting the home for as much independence as possible helps preserve the dignity that we all deserve.
Think about expenses
Being comfortable extends to reducing worries. Many seniors may not have the income they once did and keeping adaptation expenses as low as possible will help reduce the worry.
Source: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/aging-in-place-home-modifications
Considering the Comfort of Older Adults
Being comfortable in your own home as a senior means more than installing handrails for the elderly or non-slip mats! It’s also about keeping things as normal as possible. You don’t want someone having to do everything for you. Being comfortable, of course, means, well, being comfy. But your personal peace of mind also eases the stress of aging. Assistive technology, advanced seating and bedding, and living on one floor make things much easier for you.
Summary
The main reason for making home modifications for seniors is to address and remove any safety concerns. A safe home with non-slip flooring, grab bars, and medical alarms means you can go about your business without too much worry and reduce your reliance on others.
Safety isn’t the only thing that you need as you age. Independent living for older adults also relies on maintaining dignity and self-reliance through accessibility. Making your home accessible with wheelchair ramps, widened hallways, and lowered surfaces is a big help.
Aging in place also means you want to be comfortable in your home. Comfort at home is subjective. However, there are some common things that help seniors. These include adjustable bed frames, voice controlled devices and single-level living to reduce reliance on others.
No one wants to age having to rely on others. You want to age with dignity and the self-reliance you have enjoyed all your adult life. By making some of these practical changes to your home, you can look forward to aging mostly unaided in your home in comfort and relevant safety.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. Web–based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS). https://wisqars.cdc.gov/
- US Census Department. Old Housing, New Needs: Are U.S. Homes Ready for an Aging Population? https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2020/demo/p23-217.html
- AARP. Despite Pandemic, Percentage of Older Adults Who Want to Age in Place Stays Steady. https://www.aarp.org/home-family/your-home/info-2021/home-and-community-preferences-survey.html