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How You Can Keep Your Independence with a Few Home Improvements

What can be worse than feeling the family home is becoming an obstacle course and just doing the daily chores is a challenge? As we get older, losing our independence at home is a major issue that both demoralizes us and takes away our confidence. But, this doesn’t always have to be the case and there are a few tricks with simple home improvement.

Speak to Your Family:

Explain your situation to family members and tell them how you’re feeling increasingly burdened by daily life. Consulting relatives about home improvements to increase your standard of living is the first call of action. This may be as simple as changing the position of furniture to making the suggestion that you get a stairlift fitted. Listen to their thoughts and perspective. You can almost certainly rely on your family to help you make life easier at home without feeling like you’re a burden.

Redesign the Kitchen:

A kitchen is a hazardous place with the sharp objects, electrical appliances, and a hot stove. Even the most capable pensioners worry about forgetting to turn the gas off or dropping a knife onto their foot. Most kitchens have a tiled floor and a little water can turn the surface into an ice rink. To transform this area into a more comfortable and safer zone, it needs a few small changes. Put a rug near the sink to absorb splashing water and keep sharp objects in a certain part of the kitchen. Another home improvement is to replace any gas appliances with their electric counterparts.

Improve the Bathroom:

Many of the older homes still have a bathtub, which requires a level of acrobatics to get in and out. How easy would it be to slip and fall onto the hard floor? Other dangers are heaters or a heated towel rack. Burns are common in the bathroom as an unsuspecting person loses their balance and grabs the scorching heater. Consider changing the bathtub to a walk in shower and remove the heaters. Installing hand rails around the toilet also helps with mobility. With these modifications, using the bathroom will be easier and safer.

Improving Your Mobility:

Three ways to improve mobility inside the home without having to move into a single-storied property is to install hand rails, a stair lift, and a downstairs toilet. The easiest and cheapest option is to put handrails along the halls to provide support for getting around the house. If you find it challenging to use the stairs, the best option is to install a stair lift. Not only will a stair lift increase your mobility and independence, you’ll also be safer. A more radical alternative is to build a downstairs toilet to minimise going up and down the stairs each day. A combination of all three is the best way to increase mobility in your home.

Keep Your Independence:

Stay active and mobile whilst lowering the risks of falls is the best way to keep your independence at home as you get older. Consult your relatives and discuss the following suggestions to improve your home and quality of life.

Comments

  1. Mary Ambrosino says

    Like your suggestions for our older relatives and will be sure to pass them on.

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