Senior citizens have different needs and requirements, mostly because their bodies have already undergone some changes.
They need to take things a lot easier and stay away from any strenuous activity.
Their bodies might not be able to handle the same kind of stress and intense physical activities that younger people are used to.
That's why if you have an older person living with you in your place, then you should make certain changes within your house that would accommodate the special needs that they have.
Here are some of the best ideas that you can follow when it comes to creating your home more accessible to elder people: Entrance and Exit- Elderly people, who have a hard time walking, might find it difficult to walk in an entrance with multiple steps to it.
This is the first thing that you should modify in your place.
The best way to resolve this situation is to place a ramp at some side entrance and it would be better too if you can widen the door to accommodate a wheelchair passing through.
You should also install bright lights inside and outside of the entrance.
The floor should have slip resistant flooring and handle bars that could be used for support.
Stairs- This is probably the one place in your house where seniors would have the most difficulties with.
Ideally, it should wide enough to leave room for the installation of chair risers in the future.
You should also try to have it designed so that the risk of tripping and slipping can be minimized.
Electrical- Switches for lighting should be placed at 42 inches from the floor and then power outlets should be 18 inches.
You should also have easy to use switches which would be more convenient for seniors to handle.
Living Room- The main thing to keep in mind when it comes to making your more senior friendly is to have wide spaces with plenty of room to move around.
Make sure that you have one seat in the living room that could provide comfort in the living room.
You should have provisions for power outlets that could accommodate medical equipment.
Kitchen and Dining- You should see to it that the kitchen is friendly for seniors and that they have a seat there that could accommodate them without any dibficulty.
You should also have some room for them to move around in case they would be using a wheelchair.
Bathroom- This is a crucial part of your makeover, because there are so many seniors who suffered serious injuries because of slips and falls while in the bathroom.
If possible, you should use tiles that are less prone to slipping.
You should also have some bars installed there that they could grab hold of.
These are just a few of the things that you ought to bear in mind when you want to make your place friendly for elderly people.
It wouldn't be cheap, but then again you want to make sure that your love ones would stay safe and comfortable.