The number of older adults in developed countries is tremendously increasing. Your parents will soon join the extensive list of people in the support programs, and they will start getting their retirement benefits. Their physical health has significantly deteriorated after more than 30 years of service. You need to modify your home and make it conducive for them so that they can live comfortably. Here are some few tips about how you can adjust your home to meet the needs of the senior citizens.
Install Stair Lifts
A stair lift is a chair that climbs up and moves down through a motorized rail. This is the first thing you need to do after you realize that your parents are experiencing challenges moving in their living room, or accessing other services that are not on the ground floor. Stairlifts will provide an efficient and a reliable method of moving up and down without safety issues and within a short period. You can consider hiring the services of professional stair lift installers such as Easy Climber stair lifts so that you can get a customized lift that will meet the needs of the elderly person in your home.
Change the Floors
After a long period of decorating the floor of your house with ceramic tiles, it’s time to move on and get something else. Ceramic tiles are very slippery, and within no time, your mother will slide and injure her back or forehead which can result in many problems. Consider replacing ceramic tiles with wood floors. You can remind yourself about the Victorian design by installing wood floors that are not slippery but fashionable.
Install Grab Bars
Grab bars are a handy way to give the elderly in your home something safe to hold onto. You can make this convenient by installing grab bars in various parts of the house, especially on the way to the bathtub and toilet. Grab bars are a necessity in a home where the elderly live. The bars can help them with some of the more difficult chores they have to do, such as showering or bathing, or anytime they have to get up from a sitting position.
Arrange your Rooms Well
Your parents have been naturally protective of you, and it’s time you pay back by ensuring that everything that you do involves security and precautionary measures. You might need to sacrifice that extra coach in the living area or that extra coffee table so that you can create sufficient space for your parents to walk through. Remember, they are struggling to contain their balance and they may not be able to walk through a room filled with lots of furniture without a problem. You will, therefore, need to create sufficient places where they will be walking without challenges.
Modify Lighting Systems
Have wide windows which will allow sufficient natural light during the day. Make sure that the lounge or living area, where the elderly spend much of their day, have adequate sunlight, which is very important for vitamin D and strengthening their bones. You will also need to increase lighting systems at night or buy bright bulbs so that the elderly, who might have eye problems, can see objects easily and minimize the chances of falling and being injured.
Widen Doors and Hallways
Your mother or father might already be using a wheelchair if they have some mobility issues. You need to have wide doors and hallways so that they can move in and out of the door with ease. Remember you will not be there the whole day and they will need to move out and access various services inside or outside of the house. There should be sufficient space between furniture and other objects for the wheelchair to pass through.
Financial and Medical Programs
Make sure that you have been checking the financial accounts of your parents. You need to be aware of the money they have been receiving in the form of pension and other incomes so that you can offer them proper care. You also need to ensure that all the health contributions such as the Medicare and other health insurance programs are paid in time. This will make it easy for your parents to access medication every time they need it. Remember to get the best program for older adults as they will require specialized treatment that differs from other standard programs.
