Photo by Andrew Bardwell
5 Home Renovations for Seniors
By Chelsy Ranard
The golden years are for fun with grandkids, hours spent with hobbies, and a lifetime of advice and wisdom to pass on. It is also a time to be aware of safety, limitations, and what can make things easier. For the elderly and their families alike, renovations to make life easier can be overlooked or brushed aside due to fears about cost, difficulty, and time. Fortunately, many renovations necessary for the aging population can be simple and cost effective. For safety reasons, especially, many of these renovations are extremely important to consider.
Accessibility
As the years go by many things at home that used to be accessible aren’t as manageable anymore due to things like osteoarthritis, visibility issues caused by cataracts, or hypertension. Some common accessibility issues are stairs, high or low reaching cabinets, or sleeping/sitting areas being too high or too low. Some solutions to these accessibility issues are to add handrails near the stairs, rearrange cabinet items to a more accessible location or add separate shelving areas at a more ideal height, and to purchase sleeping/sitting furniture that doesn’t require a struggle to get into or out of.
For those that are wheelchair bound, the accessibility issue does become a little more costly. Necessary renovations to a home that needs to be manageable for someone in a wheelchair are:
- Wheelchair ramps
- Widened hallways
- Lowered counters
- Hardwood or low pile carpet
- Transfer friendly bathtubs/toilets
- Side by side fridge for easy freezer access
- Front loading washer/dryer
Caregivers
For many seniors it’s important to have someone living with them to help around the house, maintain their daily healthcare needs, or to aid in everyday tasks. The face of the caregiver can look different depending on each situation. 85% of caregivers provide care for a relative and 49% care for a parent or in-law. Many seniors that require in home help require a constant care and, therefore, need an area for the caregiver to stay. This requires a room renovation if there isn’t already an extra room or living quarters. The logistics of this renovation vary by situation, but the basics include a sleeping area of their own and maybe a bathroom area.
Handrails
Adding handrails is the number one renovation most needed in the home for the elderly. This is also one of the easiest fixes. Falling is one of the leading causes of injury for seniors and taking measures to eliminate this risk will be one of the most useful changes made. The necessary additions for handrails belong:
- Near any stairs
- By the toilet
- In the shower or tub
- Near sleeping and sitting areas
When adding handrails and grab bars in the home, do an overview of the home and pay attention to areas the can be slipping hazards. These are the areas that require handrails.
Lighting
Having good lighting is another way to prevent falls, but also makes other tasks easier for those with diminishing eyesight. Consider adding light switches at the top and bottom of stairs, adding push lights near the floor between the bedroom and bathroom to aid in getting to the bathroom in the middle of the night, and adding lamps in reading or hobby areas.
Falls
As mentioned before, preventing falls is an extremely necessary aspect to consider when renovating the home for seniors. Among older adults, falls are the leading cause of both fatal and nonfatal injuries. Along with adding hand rails and grab bars, add non-slip surfaces to stairs and bathroom areas. Those two areas are some of the most common places for falls that cause injury. Rearrange the home so that there isn’t a lot of clutter or furniture sticking out in walking areas. Remove rugs, replace lips in flooring changes, and fasten cords.
In order to keep homes safe and accessible for seniors, it’s necessary to make a few renovations. Not all of the renovations on this list require a lot of money, time, or know-how in order to implement them in the home. The important thing to keep in mind is safety, ease, and accessibility to make life a little easier for seniors in their home.