Home Modifications to Consider for Your Own Eldercare
Posted on: 27 February 2018
It can be difficult to admit that you're "getting along in years," and to admit that you may not be as mobile and agile as you were even just a few years ago. However, it can be good to be honest with yourself about your growing physical limitations as the years go by and to consider how you might want to modify your house in order to keep yourself safe. Adding a few accessories to the home, or making just a few simple structural changes, can actually help you to stay independent, and to stay in that home for as long as possible. Note a few suggestions to consider and to discuss with a contractor as needed.
Walk-in shower area
Stepping over a bathtub wall can be very difficult for someone with arthritis or balance issues, and falling while getting in and out of a tub is not uncommon for an elderly person. Removing the tub and creating a walk-in shower area can eliminate this risk, giving you just a small ledge or lip to step over every time you shower. Adding a seat in the shower can also allow you to sit comfortably and safely while bathing, also reducing the risk of falling.
Changing water taps
Someone with arthritis or lack of physical strength in their hands and arms may actually struggle to turn a water tap or showerhead on or off. The knobs to these pieces can often be very small and may need to be closed very tightly in order to actually shut off. Installing large knobs or even handles on water taps and showerheads can make it easier for someone to adjust them; this may even reduce the risk of burns from water that is too hot, and which cannot be adjusted in time to avoid injury.
Changing the staircase
A steep and narrow set of stairs is dangerous for anyone, but it can be downright deadly for someone with balance issues, arthritis, and other such physical concerns! Changing your home's staircase can mean widening the stairs or making them deeper, so it's easier actually to use each step. Stairs can also be turned, with a landing added, so that you can safely stop and catch your breath or regain your balance while halfway up or down the staircase. Thicker handrails and a handrail on both sides of the stairs, along with non-slip tape on the stairs themselves can also make them safer for you to use.
For more information on aged care in your home, contact your local remodeling contractors.
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