Aging-in-Place Checklist: Making Your Home Senior-Friendly

As we age, our bodies often lose flexibility and strength, making it more difficult to perform different tasks around the home. That said, you should not lose confidence in your ability to live comfortably. Instead, you should focus on upgrading your design to make it more conducive to aging-in-place. This way, you can enhance your safety and accessibility around your house.

Handyman Connection of Boise, your trusted home improvement team in the region, has put together a few expert tips to help you with this. Start by prioritizing these areas:

For Bathrooms

A large shower with seating, an easy-to-access walk-in tub, and properly placed grab bars all make bathing easier. In case a wheelchair transfer is necessary, there should be enough room around it and have a fixed or portable accessibility ramp for easy access. Additionally, a motion-sensor faucet offers better and simpler bathroom experience than traditional options.

For Kitchens

If you’re in the market for new appliances, consider senior-friendly roll-out shelves, anti-slip flooring, and motion-sensor lighting. Furthermore, a lower countertop makes it easier for seniors, particularly those who are using wheelchairs, to prepare their breakfast or pour a drink. You can also consider applying a contrasting color around the countertop edges to keep those fainter visions from running into sharp corners.

For Living Areas

Most seniors spend the majority of their time relaxing in the living room, that’s why it’s only fitting to make this space wheelchair-accessible. When we think of home components for this, widened doorways and pocket doors usually come to mind. They are undoubtedly great additions, but don’t forget to make every area – including the stairs – easily accessible. For instance, consider installing a stairlift so you can easily transfer from the upper part of the home to the living area below.

These days, there are several DIY articles and videos on the Internet, allowing homeowners to perform home improvement and maintenance tasks by themselves. If you prefer having a professional tackle these projects for you, our experts at Handyman Connection of Boise are always ready to help. We can also give you more expert ideas to make your home more enjoyable for the elderly.