1-800-Home-Care Offers Tips to Make Homes Senior-Friendly
(PRWEB) September 27, 2013 -- Arthritis, walkers and wheelchairs can make homes hard to navigate for seniors. But the health professionals with 1-800-Home-Care say there are ways to make any home more senior-friendly.
Whether you're buying a new home or trying to get an existing home ready, there are ways to make it as convenient for seniors as possible. It will improve their quality of life on a daily basis
1-800-Home-Care offers tips to make homes safe for seniors:
• In choosing a new home, look for open, spacious floor plans with minimal walls – or wide arches instead of doors.
• Single level homes or minimal stairs are often best for seniors, even those who don't use wheelchairs.
• In an existing home, focus on rearranging furniture to make wide open pathways.
• Doors can often be widened from the standard 32” to a generous 36” without much cost. The extra room is good for walkers and reduces scrapes for wheelchair users.
• Kitchen appliances should be easily accessible on the counter, with the most common implements in easy-to-reach places. Nothing should require bending down or standing on tip-toes.
• Installing pull-out shelves can make pantries much easier for seniors to use.
• Outdoor motion-sensor lights make it easier for seniors to come and go at night.
• Install grab bars in the shower and beside the toilet. If possible, consider a curbless shower for maximum accessibility.
• If choosing floors, prioritize surfaces that are not slippery.
• Decluttering can be an easy way to make a home much more senior-friendly.
With the help of these tips, seniors can potentially reduce accidents as well as feel more comfortable in their homes.
It's worth doing, either for your parents or for your own home post-retirement.
About 1-800-HOMECARE:
1-800-HOMECARE is a free home care resource. Created by home care professionals for home care professionals, 1-800-HomeCare offers up-to-date information to help patients find appropriate in-home care and to provide advice, support and assistance to home care providers. They can be contacted at:
1800HomeCare.com
49 Marble Avenue
Suite 2
Pleasantville, NY 10570
John Borley, 1-800-Homecare, http://www.1800homecare.com, 914-200-0020, [email protected],
Share this article