Home is where the heart is, and adults can grow old in the home they’ve lived in for decades.
You have weighed the decision of remaining in the home vs. moving to an assisted living center and home has won out. You need to consider that along with the possible need to hire a part-time home care worker that the home itself might need modification for you, your spouse or a parent to live safely in it.
This post explores why home improvements for aging are necessary, and best practices for making a home safe for seniors.
Why Home Improvement For Aging In Place Is Vital
An AARP survey from 2018 revealed that 3 out of 4 adults age 50 and up want to remain in their current home when they retire. In order to safely remain in the home, it is important to assess the needs of the people living there and if they can be addressed with home improvements.
Some Issues Affecting Seniors That Might Require Home Improvements Include:
- Poor Eyesight
- Mobility Issues
- Balance Problems
- Medical Conditions
- Memory Issues
- Frailty
Modifying the home to be more friendly towards those conditions will ensure that the home will be safely occupied for years to come.
Making Your House Safe: Home Remodeling Suggestions
We have put together a resource of many of the suggested home improvements to help seniors stay comfortable and safe as they age in the home.
Entryway
Having an accessible path up to the home and a no-step entryway makes getting into the home easier and minimizes the chances of slips and falls.
- A wide and low-graded pathway up to the front door
- Automatic/sensor lighting to ensure pathway and entry are lit at night
- A ramp to the front door with a non-slip surface
- Covered entryway and a surface to place bags or parcels when opening the door
Declutter Rooms and Hallways
Balance and vision issues can make navigating safely in the home tricky. It is important to ensure that rooms and hallways have wide, clear pathways to avoid accidents. Clearing out items from the home is also a great opportunity to downsize your belongings.
- Donate or sell unwanted furniture
- Remove rugs, cords and other tripping hazards
- Set up a room to keep items you regularly use within easy reach
Flooring
Choosing the right flooring will help prevent trips and falls in the home. You will want to make sure you use materials and coatings that are Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) certified to be slip resistant.
- Carpets that are no more than half an inch thick
- Slip-resistant bathroom and/or shower tile
- Anti-slip paint-on coating for older surfaces
Accessibility Features
When mobility becomes an issue, you may want to install accessibility features in the home. Grab bars make losing balance less likely, and you can also add other features that are more costly. Read our post on minimizing risks in the home through accessibility features for more details on the logistics of installing these in your home.
- Grab bars in vulnerable locations such as the toilet and shower
- Install a stairlift
- Install a walk-in tub
- Build wheelchair ramps
Lighting
It is important that there are bright lights in every room with switches that are easy to access to prevent accidents. Night lights are a cost-effective way of lighting pathways in the dark, and you can install a clapper or voice-activated light switch for rooms in the home as well.
- Place always-on or sensor activated night lights around the home
- Ensure switches are easy to access or sound activated
- Buy table or floor lamps for more lighting where required
- Use brighter bulbs
Doorknobs & Faucets
You will want to replace any twist doorknobs or faucets with lever-style handles when arthritis or grip strength is an issue. For faucets, you can also consider sensor-activated touchless models.
When it comes to running water, you may also want to do some work to prevent scalding. Consider lowering the maximum water temperature on the water heater, or installing faucets or plumbing where water temperature won’t be affected by using water elsewhere in the home.
Updating Your Home: Tech Options For A Safer House
Modern technology also presents opportunities for further safety features to give both seniors in the home and their families peace of mind.
Smart Home Controls
Having voice or app activated controls for functions in the home will help prevent nighttime falls. It also helps those who have mobility issues manage functions in the home without requiring extra help.
Smart home assistants like Google Home or Amazon Echo let you use voice commands to do many things, as long as devices in your home are made to be controlled via a home network.
Some of the Things You Can Control With Smart Technology Include:
- Turning lights on and off
- Adjusting the thermostat
- Opening and closing blinds
- Controlling the television
- Playing music
If upgrading your home with new devices is too expensive, consider a smart plug. You plug this into a regular socket and then plug a device like a lamp into it. This will let you activate any simple on/off device using voice commands.
Front Door Camera and Security
As we age, security becomes more of a concern as we’re less able to defend ourselves. It might be that a senior can no longer see through a peephole, or is having issues with parcels being taken.
Consider getting a motion activated front door camera such as a Nest Cam. This camera will capture any time someone comes to your door, whether you are at home or not. You can get a notification on a phone or tablet and see the video live or watch it later. This is also a great way to keep track of your home security while on vacation.
Remote Health and Home Monitoring
With smart health monitoring apps, seniors and their families can both have peace of mind that help can come quickly in an emergency.
Seniors can wear devices such as necklaces or wristbands that track their vitals. If the device detects a problem with the senior’s heart rate, it can provide an alert to the family and medical services.
The home can also be set up with smart sensors so a family can track various things around the house for memory impaired seniors. You can tell if the stove was left on, for example, or the front or back door left open. Seniors on cupboards can also let you know if a senior had taken their medicine on time.
Aging in Place With Peace of Mind
Aging is a natural part of life, and it doesn’t have to completely rearrange your life. To avoid the major life change of selling and leaving your home behind, do your due diligence and prepare the home so you can live in comfort and safety in your autumn years.