Global Health Aging

Many people can appreciate the many benefits of assisted living for aging adults. But the truth is, many seniors still prefer to age in place, spend their quiet years in the neighborhoods they’re used to, in their lifelong homes, and be surrounded by family. While there’s nothing wrong with that, some of these living conditions cannot meet the continual and changing needs of aging adults. This makes it unsafe for your elderly loved ones, especially those living alone. Fortunately, you can make some changes to make the space a better one for them. So, if you or your aging loved one wants to age in place, here are some must-have home modifications worth putting in place. 

1. Wider doorways

Suppose an aging adult depends on mobility aids like a wheelchair or walker to get around at home. In that case, it’s important to widen doorways to facilitate easier movement and reduce the risk of injuries. Even if seniors do not have mobility aids but need someone to help them move around, widening doorways is a straightforward and effective home modification.

2. Assistive tech solutions

Your aging loved ones need all the help they can get. Thankfully, you can find a wide range of devices designed to assist aging in place adults and minimize the risk of injuries. For example, you can find different types of active home monitoring systems, medical alerts, fall prevention solutions, and so on. These solutions do not require you to make permanent modifications to the home design. You also can find different types of fall prevention and anti-wandering alerts from sources like Val-U-Care.  

3. Indoor and outdoor ramps

Wider doorways are not the only thing a senior in a wheelchair will need. Ramps are equally important. Installing indoor and outdoor ramps is a great way to accommodate their walkers and wheelchairs and enhance freedom of movement in and out of the house. Ramps can also help prevent or reduce the risk of accidents and injuries in the home. 

4. Grab bars

Seniors have higher risks of slipping and falling, and their consequences are more severe. That’s why grab bars installations are a must for any senior aging in place. Places like the bathroom, bedroom, and staircase are the most common areas where slips and falls can easily happen. And you need to ensure that such areas have grab bars installed for seniors to hold on to. In the bathroom, you can install these bars near the toilet seat, next to the bathtub, and inside the shower, as these areas are usually the most slippery. In the bedroom, you can install a grab bar next to the bed to help a senior safely get in and out of bed. 

5. Improved lighting 

A well-lit home is important for everyone, but even more so for aging adults, especially seniors with vision impairment. Areas of the home with many furniture pieces should be well lit. Also, it’s best to install motion sensor-activated lights or night lights to lighten up staircases and hallways at night. You can also install under-cabinet lights in the kitchen for better vision when cooking. For avid readers, you can place touch lights on their tables to better illuminate their pages.