Creating a Home for Aging Homeowners
If there are plans to remodel a home and aging homeowners are present, it is important to create a home for their elderly abilities.
There are plenty of additions, adjustments, and renovations that can be made to any home or apartment to help elderly folks stay for as long as possible. Some of these adjustments are simple and don’t require a complete renovation while others are complex and require that you start from scratch. Here are a few tips on how you can create a home for aging homeowners.
Simple Renovations
- Grab Bars – Installed in bathrooms and at the top and bottom of stairs can help elders maintain their balance as they walk throughout their home.
- Lever Handles – Doorknobs can be difficult to grab and turn for the elderly, installing lever handles can ease the opening of doors.
- Dimmer/Rocker Switches – Light switches are small and can be tough to switch. Replacing them with dimmer or rocker switches will make it that much easier to bring light into any room.
Complex Renovations
- Lowering Counters – If you are going to completely renovate your kitchen, you should lower the cabinets and counters, and install sinks that accommodate wheelchairs, walkers, or whatever mechanical helper the elderly who live there own.
- Install a Walk-In Shower – Bathtubs can be slippery and lead to severe injury. A walk-in shower with a seat reduces the peril that comes with bathtubs. (The grab bars mentioned earlier would make it that much safer.)
- Install a Chairlift – Stairs are a bother for old knees and some elderly may not have the physical ability to go up or down. A chairlift (as seen in Disney•Pixar’s Up) can assist the elderly in climbing stairs.
Do the elderly have the right health insurance to help them with expensive medical bills? Call Remland Insurance today for additional safety information or to update your California home insurance policy in Orange County and surrounding areas – 714.532.3341
