Home Repairs For Seniors With Poor Vision

As you age, your vision naturally becomes less sharp, and object identification becomes less clear. To help seniors age in place gracefully, Handyman Connection offers renovations and repair services in Kelowna to help transform the process. Find out which improvements can increase visibility and make ageing in place a more comfortable experience for seniors with visual impairment. 

Illuminate Surroundings With Lighting 

Adding purposeful lighting throughout the home will help homeowners better identify their surroundings. Motion-activated nightlights that help create a more visible pathway in the dark can prevent falls and confusion. Clear walk paths are integral to avoid accidents but adding lights can help identify any objects still in the way. Handyman Connection can install under the cabinet task lighting activated with touch sensors to help guide cooking tasks by illuminating food prep areas. Adding shatter-proof filters or films to existing lighting are easy home repairs for seniors that reduce the glare on floors. 

Choose Safer Flooring for Movement 

Because floors are the most trafficked area of the home, ageing in place involves creating a safe and manageable environment to move safely, even as time passes. 

Type 

Remove any flooring that may be slippery or slick. Hardwood and linoleum can both be the cause of falls in socked feet. Installing carpet can provide a little grip and add a little bit of a cushion if there is a fall; harder floors can be painful to land on. 

Grips 

Adding grips is a decision that you should consult with Handyman Connection to determine if it’s a good choice for your situation. Grips can be challenging to get the hang of and are potentially better left for showering and bathing, where most of your time is spent in a mostly stationary position. Catching an extra grippy part of the floor in mid-stride could cause a fall rather than prevent it. 

Colors 

Super waxed floors can create a glare that makes it difficult to see. Floor colours similar to the walls do not produce enough contrast to help navigate from one room to the next with limited sight; consider painting walls a colour on the opposite end of the spectrum from the flooring. Checked tiles or linoleum can create confusion and disorientation due to too much contrast in one area, making it challenging to focus on where to go. 

Use Walls for Support and Guidance

Adding grab bars throughout the home, not just in the bathroom, can help guide homeowners from one room to the next. Grab bars are mounted to walls and come in various colours, styles, lengths, and finishes to match the existing decor. Installing sturdy railings on both sides of any stairs will help with stability and decrease the potential of serious falls. If homeowners need assistance moving from one room to the next, locating the seam of the wall and flooring should be easy and used to navigate along the border to the next doorway. 

Swap Out Old Bathroom Fixtures 

Changing out bathroom fixtures is one of the most significant ways to help visually impaired seniors age in place. Bathrooms are notorious for accidents; if you add in reduced vision, it can be a very scary experience. Walk-in tubs and showers are the ultimate accommodation. Adding grab bars in the shower or bath also can be helpful to guide the entrance and the exit with support. Extra bright lighting helps identify which labelled bottles are for what purpose and will also help foster independence. 

Impaired vision need not hamper continued independence when just a few modifications can be made to accommodate the needs of homeowners as time passes. Contact Handyman Connection in Kelowna to learn more about the best repairs and renovations available to age in place gracefully.