Keys to Making Your Interiors Elderly-Friendly

The wisdom and experience of family members who are senior citizens prove to be invaluable in times when you encounter difficult situations that involve your better half, children or other relatives. They offer you sound advice and can continue to teach you a thing or two about living a quality life. These may be some reasons why you welcome them in your home. It may be also that the responsibility in caring for them has been entrusted to you, thus, their presence in your household.

With this, you need to consider their needs and make your living areas more suitable for them in order to prevent accidents and make it easier for them to move around your maisonette or bungalow. Whether you are planning to build a new one or renovate your current unit, you will do well to consider a few suggestions on making your interiors convenient for your elderly occupants:

Floors
Should you opt for tiles, make sure these are non-slip and matte, thus giving the seniors a better grip of the ground as they walk. Stay away from the shiny ones as they pose skidding and falls. Carpets are also good choices. Just make sure these are not too shaggy.

Entrances
Instead of installing steps, go for wide, sloping or inclined surfaces like ramps as these can accommodate wheelchairs and walkers effectively. As a consequence, the risk of tripping is minimised and ascents or descents will not be difficult or painful for the older members of the household.

Furniture
Make sure you furnish your house with sturdy ones that gives good support. Seats should have arm rests and have four-legged bases. The edges of tables must be curved and not pointed and must be able to make room for wheelchairs.

Lighting
Since the eyesight of the elderly are not as good anymore, you need to set up illuminating fixtures that are of similar levels so that the aged member will not have to keep adjusting themselves to the changes in the brightness. Avoid getting those that have glare as they can be blinding. Make sure critical zones like kitchens and bathrooms are sufficiently lighted.

In addition, make furniture arrangement changes minimal in order to prevent disorienting the senior citizen. Install grab bars near toilets and tubs, so that they have something to hold on when they need to sit up. Make sure that your faucets, door and closet handles are of the lever type as they are easier to manoeuvre compared to knobs that require twisting motions. It would also be good if your countertops are raised a bit higher so that there will be no need to bend over more than they need to.