When you first buy a home and start renovating, remodeling and decorating it, probably the last thing that’s on your mind is aging in place. However, the fact is that as you grow older, you’ll slowly start to notice all the things that weren’t bothering you before – such as how tall the stairs are, the lack of proper lighting in the hallway, just how difficult climbing in the bathtub has become and so on.
Therefore, instead of waiting for all of these to grow into real issues, you should consider doing some home renovations ahead of time that will make aging in place that much easier and pleasant. Here, we’ll be exploring some of the basic ones, so pay attention.
Start off with the bathroom
The bathroom is definitely one of the rooms that pose some major hazards for the elderly. Slippery floors, tall bathtubs and too small showers are just some of the major potential dangers.
That’s why you should replace your bathroom floor tiles with something that won’t get slippery if it gets wet or at least lay out some non-slip bathroom floor covers. Make sure you secure them in place to prevent the potential tripping. Additionally, replace your bathtub for a walk-in curbless shower that features a bench, so that you can take care of your basic hygiene while staying safe and comfortable.
Move onto your hallways
The hallways are definitely the next place you should focus your attention to. As we get older moving around becomes significantly more difficult and some seniors find themselves feeling more confident if they have something to hold onto. That’s why in many leading Australian retirement homes there are handrails attached to walls throughout the housing units that make moving around significantly more comfortable. However, simply installing ordinary handrails can somewhat diminish your interior design. That’s why you can contact a Sydney commercial carpentry company that can install some beautiful wooden handrails that will be both practical and look stunning.
Touch up your bedroom
The bedroom is the next place you should readjust for when you get to your golden age. First and foremost, make sure that all the pieces of furniture are secured in place because you want to prevent any tipping. Next, consider adding a TV in your bedroom, to make sure you have some entertainment during the days you feel under the weather.
Also, lift all the cables off the ground to minimize the chances of tripping over them and secure your rugs in place to prevent any slips and falls. Additionally, you should also consider installing hand grips on the side of your bed which will make getting into and out of it much more comfortable. Finally, add a landline in your bedroom as well for some additional safety and – if possible – install voice-controlled lights so that you can turn them on and off without actually having to get out of bed.
Make sure there’s plenty of light
It goes without saying that in order to be able to move around your home safely, you need to have plenty of light. As we age, our vision starts to deteriorate which causes even those who once had a 20/20 vision to experience certain difficulties. Therefore, make sure you illuminate your property well by adding some light sources and equipping all of your lighting fixtures with energy efficient LED lights. These will not only reduce your overall energy consumption, thus lowering your utility bill, but they also have a longer lifespan, which means you won’t have to change them as frequently as you do some other alternatives.
Make more room
Finally, if you look at some of the best retirement home’s housing units, you will notice that the majority of them has either an open floor plan or wider doorways. This is due to the fact that some of the people living there have difficulties moving around on their own and need to use wheelchairs.
So, even though you’re still young and do not have these issues, make sure you prepare for the future ahead of time. Bigger doorways and fewer walls will make moving around your property more convenient once you get older, so that’s definitely another remodeling project you should consider.
As you can see, all of these upgrades are relatively easy to realize but they will certainly make a world of difference once you get to a certain age. So, think ahead and go for these renovation projects to ensure that you will stay comfortable in your own home even when you reach old age.