It’s important to understand what it takes to keep your home safe as you age. Aging can mean that vision and mobility are challenged along the way. Aging can also mean that keeping up with the everyday tasks of life become overwhelming.
Whatever the challenges you face as you age, you want your home to remain as safe as possible as the days go by. Take the time now to check out a brief look into a few home improvement tips that will help to create a safer space inside and outside your home.
Stability in the bathroom
The bathroom is a dangerous place when your body doesn’t have the mobility it once had. Making the bathroom a safe space for seniors isn’t difficult with just a few small modifications.
If you’re working on making a senior bathroom safer, start by adding grab bars in strategic locations around the room. The toilet and the shower are crucial spots for stability, and other safety measures can be added per the individual need.
Trip and fall hazards
Trips and falls are much more difficult to bear when your body gets older. As a senior, you don’t want a home that could hurt you by tripping you up as you are walking.
A senior’s home is much safer when everything is on the same level, when carpets and other threshold barriers are properly arranged to avoid snagging, and then there are no dog or kid toys junking up the floors. Keeping the floors clear of clutter is the best way to assure there are no nasty spills.
Lighting is important
Lighting is important, too. When seniors get up at night to use the restroom or get a glass of water, it shouldn’t be pitch black in the house. Night lights and more permanent lighting options can help create a safer space.
Adding some under the counter lighting in the kitchen will help make it safer to grab a glass of water in the middle of the night. Touchable lights in the hallways and bathrooms makes it easier for seniors to get around in the dark as well.
Wearable security
Seniors also have the luxury of advancements in technology. Wearable technology can add security to the lives of seniors in many different ways. For instance, wearable tech can monitor blood pressure, heart rate, and other critical data needed to assess well-being.
Making hard choices
Finally, it may be that home just can’t be a safe place for a senior. Some seniors lose the ability to safely care for themselves on a day-to-day basis, and in that case, a suitable senior living community might be the best answer to safety.
Finding a place where the staff can offer a little help throughout the day can keep independence intact while offering security one simply cannot find at home.
