A lot of seniors want to stay independent as possible and this means staying in the home that they bought. While this is an admirable sentiment, it can cause problems for their children. Seniors often don’t realize how fragile they can be. For those who feel that they should do their best to keep their parents safe, there is often a choice of moving in with them or having them move in with you. But that is not always an option so here are some tips on how to upgrade a house properly for senior life.
Keep The Temperature Regulated
Age makes people more sensitive to the surrounding temperature. Your parents might feel that their home is too cold or too hot. Usually, it is the cold that is the problem because older people have increased cold sensitivity. This is where working with a professional heating company can be a big help. Ensure that the house’s furnace is up-to-date and working properly.
Additionally, you should consider having an automatic thermostat. They can automatically change the temperature so that your parents won’t have to struggle to remember to change them. Additionally, some modern thermostats have Wi-Fi connections and can provide you with updates from far away.
Ensure They Have Proper Access
When people grow older, moving around becomes much more difficult. If you want to allow your parents to live on their own, you should ensure that they can move around without problems. This can come in various forms. For example, they may develop a need for a wheelchair or a walker. If their home has narrow doorways, this makes them unable to move as freely as they could. Upgrading doorways ensures that they won’t have to worry about this.
Another nice change would be to upgrade the entry points to the house. A ramp might be better since it is easier on the legs instead of stairs. Simply give it a forgiving incline and seniors should find it easy.
Provide Adequate Lighting
Another major issue for seniors is visibility and eyesight. When people grow older, they find it hard to see things as their vision deteriorates. To help with this, you’ll need to install better lighting for them to see. This can allow them to see where they are going and prevent a lot of accidents. However, just aiming for brightness is not enough.
Some people react badly to bright lights and it can also be blinding on some occasions. It is a good idea to experiment and personalize the lighting for your parents. Installing adjustable lights would be a good compromise since it allows for them to have control over what levels of lighting are available.
Give Them Appropriate Railings
Falls are a common accident for the elderly. Preventing them from happening should be a priority when it comes to upgrading a house. There are several potential causes for falls but one of the more common causes is the loss of balance. To help with this, you should be installing railings in all the right places. A good place to install them would be on the stairs. Climbing up can be a strain on seniors and this can cause them to fall. Railings can assist them in going up.
Make The Bathroom Safer
Bathrooms are where a lot of seniors face accidents. This makes it an important focus of various improvements and upgrades. For example, railings can also be very useful in the bathroom. Place one in the shower so that your parents can hold on to something as they take a bath. Another railing should be by the toilet to assist them in getting up. Another nice safety feature would be to have anti-slip flooring so that your parents can have no worries about a slippery floor.
Install Automation
While seniors pride themselves on their independence, they will need all the help that they can get. This is where automation comes in. There are various smart devices that you can install in a home to make life easier. Automatic thermostats and lights are just two examples. A security system can also be a big help in keeping seniors safe. The great thing about these devices is that they can also function as monitoring devices. If you are worried about how your parents are doing, you can simply check on them via an app to see their condition.
All these upgrades are going to cost money, but they can be worth it. Giving your parents maximum comfort and safety as they grow older can be worth the investment. Consider all the options above and decide on which ones to focus on.
