Home adaptations you may need for elderly relatives
There are some things we need to take into consideration as family members get older. It might be that they need to have stronger, different glasses, or there are a couple of food items they should cut back on (even if they are treats). Unfortunately, some of them will start to lose their mobility – making it difficult to maintain their independence.
Thankfully there are answers out there to some of these problems, so they can stay living the way they want to for as long as possible. What can you do to help, and what’s available? Easy home adaptations can make their lives that bit better – these are some of the updates they could add to their property.
Stairlift
Stairlifts are a good solution if someone has limited mobility and struggles to get up and down the stairs. This might be because of old age, if they’ve had an operation, or they suffer from a condition such as arthritis.
If their home is on multiple floors, then installing stairlifts in the UK means they can continue to access their whole property. An occupational therapist will be able to inform and assess whether having a stairlift is suitable for their needs.
Bed rails
Having a bed rail is a simple way of being able to get into and out of bed on one’s own. These will attach to the side of a bed and will give someone extra support when they lie down or get up. Like a bed that you might have in a hospital, the rails can also serve as a guard to help stop them from falling out in the night.
Grab bars
Many toilet grab bars can be clamped in place and don’t need hardware. You can also get bars that mount onto the wall instead.
For slippery surfaces – particularly with bathtubs – portable grab bars use non-suction cups that can be attached to flat surfaces. They won’t carry someone’s full weight, but they will give a person some added stability when getting in and out of the bath.
Floors
You may find that they need to remove rugs from pathways, or even remove all the carpeting. This is because laminate and hardwood flooring are smoother than carpets, and some stone and tiles. Having a smooth floor will mean trip hazards are eliminated. It will also make it easier to use equipment such as scooters, wheelchairs, and walkers.
They should also remove thresholds from doorways, so it’s easier to move through them – as well as stopping shuffling feet from tripping. If a threshold can’t be removed, then they can get ramps instead.
Also: tidy away any clutter
They should think about removing any cluttered extra furniture that’s in their house, which might make it difficult for them to move about freely. Also, make sure that they move any wires and cables out of the way, which will then help to prevent any falls or slips from taking place in their home.