How To Adapt Your Home As You Get Older

As you get older, your home might be fighting against you in terms of your mobility and access needs. We all get old one day, and being able to adapt to the home will ensure that you have independence for longer. Not only that, but when you’re still fighting fit in both mind and body, being able to live at home and in a place that’s familiar is important.

With that being said, here are some helpful tips to adapt your home as you get older. Regardless of age now, it’s good to prepare for the future, especially if it’s your forever home.

Install a walk-in shower or grab rails

For the bathroom area, this tends to be a high-risk spot for injuries and falls. Therefore, you want to be proactive by installing a walk-in shower if you don’t have one already. This is the best way to keep yourself smelling fresh without the risk of climbing in and out of a bathtub.

Grab rails are also worth having if you only have a bathtub to work with. This can be helpful because it allows you to pull yourself up rather than trying to push yourself up on the slippery sides of the bathtub.

Consider a stairlift for the stairs

A stair lift is a great investment later on in life when mobility becomes a problem. Climbing the stairs to bed every night can feel like a nightmare, so it’s good to get a stairlift for the stairs when you find that it’s getting harder.

A stairlift can be an expensive investment, but it’s a worthwhile one nonetheless.

Add more lighting fixtures to keep spaces bright

Lighting is important because it can help guide the way from one room to another. This is particularly important when it’s dark, or there’s low-lit natural light in the home.

Adding more lighting fixtures to keep spaces bright is ideal, especially at floor level. You should look to add these in where you can, particularly in hallways and on staircases.

Have a ramp for entry and exit

A ramp for the entry and exit of your home is a good way to preempt any need for a wheelchair in the future. It can also be accessible to guests, friends, or family who need access.

Ramps are easy enough to add to your property, even if they are just temporary ramps that you place outside as and when needed.

Seek home care services

Finally, when it comes to getting help around the home, there are home care Cheltenham services that provide a certain level of care for those looking to continue living at home. You might just need that extra helping hand to do daily tasks, but ultimately, you will have the independence to stay in your own home for longer. 

Being able to stay in your home for longer as you get older is helpful. It keeps you healthy and alive for longer, so adapt your home where and when you are able to.