Aging in Place
" Ideas "
AARP has found that grab bars and hand railings are the most often installed initial step taken by its clients. Strategically located grab bars and hand railings can be unobtrusive and address the #1 cause of injuries in older adults, falls.
There are several benefits of installing handrails next to your stairs, walkways, and other inclined areas. The biggest – and most obvious benefit is related to your safety while ascending and descending the slope or steps.
Walk-in showers are all the renovation rage these days, and for good reason: they're spacious (but still fit in a small space), elegant and much easier to access than tubs. They're also much easy to keep clean, thanks to stain- and moisture-resistant tile, and synthetic products.. They offer a wide range of possibilities, from rainfall showerheads to steam baths. And, most of all, they're beautiful in any bathroom, no matter your style. One benefit that can't be forgotten is that walk-in showers are much more accessible than baths. If someone in your family has mobility challenges, walk in showers are the perfect solution as they don't require stepping over a high ledge. And, it's an investment in your own future, as you may yourself grow into mobility issues as you get older. For homeowners with a view for future accessibility, this is the perfect shower to install in your home. It increases your home's value and makes it attractive to a wider range of buyers.
Lighting is often a major contributor to preventable indoor falls for older adults. As we age, poor lighting situations that may not have posed a problem at a younger age are now a potential risk. These may include poorly lit corridors or rooms, or nighttime trips from the bed to the bathroom.
The physiological changes include:
Less light gets to retina (1/3 to 1/5 compared to younger people)
More sensitivity to glare
Slower adaptation to changes in lighting
Diseases: cataracts, glaucoma, and macular degeneration.
Lack of contrast sensitivity, less fine detail
General yellowing that affects sensitivity to blue and violet color hues
To facilitate aging in place, there are many modifications that can help combat these changes, from the simple to the more complex. First, it’s important to understand that more lighting does not necessarily mean better lighting. Color temperatures, placement, and intensity all affect whether additional lighting is a benefit or hindrance. Improvements can be broken up into two applications: ambient lighting and task lighting.
Having your doorways widened has aesthetic benefits in addition to being essential for accessibility reasons; wider doorways allow more light to flow through a home, creating a brighter, more cheerful atmosphere. They also help to create the illusion that the home is larger and more spacious than it actually is.
Benefits of Installing a Wheelchair Ramp in Your Home. Wheelchair ramps enable physically disabled as well as elderly people to enjoy complete freedom, as they allow users to move in and around the home safely and freely. It is a cost-effective and practical solution to enhance mobility
Adding ramps to a home’s entry and exits aren't just for wheelchair access. Even if your parents don’t use a wheelchair, a ramp eliminates the need to navigate steps, which can make maintaining balance difficult, even with a banister..You can also get indoor threshold ramps that you put in doorways to form a seamless surface to transition from one room to another.
A vertical platform lift is a specially designed lift that a person conveniently rolls into in the safety of his or her wheelchair or power chair and thereby has easy access to other levels of the office, home or property.
Its optimal features include a weight capacity of up to 750 pounds, multiple stop configurations, safe and easy-to-operate controls, built in safety features and cost effective options.
A stair-lift reduces the biggest injury hazard in your aging parent’s home at minimal cost, giving peace of mind for everyone. Maybe it’s the cozy split level you grew up in. Or maybe it’s the townhouse your parents moved into after emptying the nest. Either way, the place has stairs.
Lately you’ve noticed how your elderly parents struggle with them. Now you wonder: How long can they safely stay there? A stair-lift is an increasingly popular answer. It’s quick and affordable to install. It’s unobtrusive. But, most importantly, it makes stairs far easier and safer for aging bodies to deal with.
To that end, here are Four little known ways a stair-lift can help you achieve the goal of stay-at-home elder care – safely, easily, and affordably.
They reduce the risk of a fall / they keep you more active / they help you to get more chores done / they make you safer and happier.
Having a master bedroom on the first floor is ideal for aging in place being able to remain comfortably in your home without having to deal with stairs. It allows you easy and safe access to the rooms you'll use every day (kitchen, family room, laundry, garage).
If your house has stairs, one of the best ways to reduce risk is to have a bathroom on the first floor. Some two-story homes, especially in certain parts of the country or in older, more established neighborhoods, have only one bathroom: upstairs, close to the bedrooms. While that made sense years ago, it also created problems for anyone who had trouble climbing stairs. Chair lifts can help with this, but a bathroom on the first floor is very important when you’re aging in place.
If your home doesn’t have a lot of space on the first floor, getting a bathroom in there can seem difficult. But there are generally ways to make space. You may need to give up part or all of a bedroom, sun porch, patio, office, or another small room that you aren’t really using. A large closet can also be part of a bathroom conversion, if there is enough room. But keep in mind that the first floor bathroom must be accessible, and that means a bigger space that can accommodate a walker or a wheelchair. With a larger space, your first floor bathroom will be much safer and easier to use as you age. . Every bathroom should be a place to relax, de-stress, and recharge your body and soul.
When it comes to aging in place, never underestimate the challenge of doing laundry. While it may seem like an easy activity, few daily tasks require you to use more electricity, lift more weight, or deal with a wider variety of chemicals. As you or your loved ones age, it is essential to make sure that your laundry room is safe, convenient, and easy to access. Creating an accessible laundry room is no simple matter. Not only do you have to accommodate many different types of equipment, but the room itself needs to be in a convenient location and properly organized.
There are many benefits of a walk in tub. Walk-in tub benefits are many; from stress reduction, reliving sore aching muscles, hydrotherapy, and aromatherapy.They helps heal the mind, body, and soul in many ways. Walk in tubs offer a variety of spa systems that can help with pain and stress relief. ... Enjoying a safe, stress-free bathing experience is what every person deserves.
We sell and install dozens of bidet seats, are also known as washlet’s. They are finally being recognized as a major benefit. In Europe it’s hard not to find one in a home. They're Heated.
Seniors – When we get older, using the restroom can become an increasingly difficult task. Some turn to care-givers for assistance with wiping. This can lower a person’s self esteem – having to depend on someone else to use the toilet. A bidet seat can help restore confidence and allow you to regain your independence!
Medical Conditions – Bidet toilet seats are great for those who have particular medical conditions. For example, you might have diminished strength in your hands or arms. Any patient who has gone through surgery in that region would also get relief and comfort with a new bidet.
More Hygienic – Washing with water more effectively reduces the likelihood of bacteria germinating. In fact, using only toilet paper can actually spread bacteria across an area as opposed to cleaning it away! Bidet usage can also provide a hands-free experience – your hands stay on your lap, while the bidet seat works beneath you. It’s hands-free.
Hemorrhoids – Because you're using water, it's the most comfortable cleaning method. Many hemorrhoids sufferers use bidets with a lot of success. Less abrasion = less irritation.
A New Standard of Comfort – Bidet seats provide a more soothing cleaning experience as opposed to using toilet paper. Cleaning with toilet paper is often abrasive to a person's sensitive areas. Plus toilet paper can contain perfumes which may lead to further irritation.
For Women & New Mothers – Menstrual periods oftentimes may produce unfresh feelings. Using water to wash yourself will help you feel clean. Mothers who have given birth recently may be extra sensitive in that area. Making use of a bidet's wash features can be a more soothing and relaxing way to go.
Water Cleans You Better than Paper – Water is more effective at cleaning you than dry paper. But you knew that already.
A New Standard of Comfort – Bidet seats provide a more soothing cleaning experience as opposed to using toilet paper. Cleaning with toilet paper is often abrasive to a person's sensitive areas. Plus toilet paper can contain perfumes which may lead to further irritation.
Eco-Friendly – Over 9 million trees are cut down to manufacture U.S. toilet paper every year. By cutting back on our toilet paper consumption, we can reduce our overall paper waste.
A comfort height toilet is sometimes known as an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) toilet because the height matches that used for ADA-compliant toilets, 17 to 19 inches from floor to seat. This is like the height of a chair. The height of a standard toilet is about 15 inches from floor to seat. The one that is right for your home depends on the height of the family members, whether anyone has physical needs, and the way that family members transfer to and from the toilet.
Best Use:
It should be easy to sit on and stand up from. Also, you should be able to rest both feet on the floor. For this reason, a comfort height toilet will probably be the better choice for anyone who has difficulty standing from a low position, such as the elderly or disabled. A standard toilet will be the better option for a child or someone small in stature. If your feet dangle without touching, it can result in leg pain or in your legs falling asleep due to cut off circulation.
Appearance:
Both comfort height and standard toilets come in a variety of styles and colors. The most popular color is white or beige since these are better for the resale value of the home. Choices include a one- or two-piece design. The two-piece is the less expensive and more traditional. The one-piece is easy to clean with a more sleek look. The inner mechanisms can also vary in either height. They can be traditional gravity flush or have pressure-assisted flushing mechanisms. You can even have bidet functionality with either toilet.
It can take some people longer to get in and out of the tub and take care of everything they need to do in the bathroom. Replacing the overhead light fixture above the toilet and tub with one that has an infrared bulb as well as a regular bulb will help keep their bathroom warm and comfortable in the winter months.
One-fourth of older Americans fall each year, according to the National Council on Aging. Every 19 minutes, a senior dies from a fall, and every 11 seconds, an older adult is sent to the emergency room for treatment for a fall-related injury. Falls in the home often result in minor injuries, but a fall in the bathroom can be fatal. Bathrooms can be a hazardous place for seniors, particularly those with balance issues. Common hazards include: Slippery floors in showers and bathtubs. Low toilet seats, shower chairs that are not slip-resistant, insufficiently secured grab bars or towel racks. A few simple changes can make the bathroom a safer place for seniors and reduce the risk of injury. Grab bars are essential for seniors with poor balance and difficulty getting in and out of the tub. Many seniors rely on towel bars to keep them steady and balanced when getting in and out of the bathtub, but these bars are not designed to support more than a few pounds of weight. Install grab bars in places that are easy to reach, so seniors can enter and exit the tub with greater ease.
Another option to be considered for aging in place shower design is a wet room. This is one of the simplest bathroom floor plans. ... A wet room is also a bathroom design that will allow for a lot of open space – an important factor for aging-in-place design. Keep in mind that space will be a greater issue as you age.
Technology has become one of the most important developments in helping people stay in their own home as they age. Home technology like medical alert, home security and remote monitoring or communication systems are particularly beneficial.
Wearable technology like watches, necklaces and even shoe insoles monitor your loved ones’ movement throughout their home, as well as their vitals. You can outfit doorways with sensors that alert a family or emergency care service if someone enters a door but doesn’t exit within a specified period of time, indicating they may need help.
If you’re looking for a home monitoring system specific to aging in place, a certified aging in place specialist can outfit your loved one's home with different sensors that you can monitor from your smartphone. You can know when your dad gets out of bed thanks to a pressure-sensitive mat placed next to his side of the bed. You can have a sensor put on the medicine cabinet door so you’ll know if your mom takes her medicine. Likewise, you can have heat sensors installed on the stove and front and rear door sensors put in.
Home automation security and monitoring systems do more than provide caregiving functions. You can automate your parents’ home so they can control things like lights, entertainment systems, blinds and more, all from their smartphone or remote control.
Home Elevators effectively solve accessibility problems, particularly when the person is wheelchair or scooter bound and unable to transfer without a lift.
Home elevators are now considered a smart choice for home owners planning to “age in place” in homes they have long cherished and simply do not want to leave.
Falls often occur when elders are getting in and out of the tub or shower. Having a non-slip mat (or decals) on the floor of the shower or tub as well as a non-slip rug on the floor when stepping out of tub or shower (to prevent slipping on wet tiles) helps the elder feel more stable and can reduces slipping. Stepping onto a towel is bad; the towel can easily slide away from underneath the feet. A non-slip rug in front of the toilet and by the sink area can help to reduce slipping on wet tiles.
A mat or non-slip adhesive strips applied to the bathtub and shower floor surface provides stable footing. Sometimes elders with decreased vision and poor depth perception view bathtub surfaces as "bottomless pits" and become fearful when entering. Placing a mat or strips on the tub/shower floor can eliminate this problem by providing visual cuing.
Replacing the round doorknobs in your parents' home with lever-style handles helps people with arthritis or grip issues easily open doors. Likewise, swapping out round kitchen cabinet door knobs with bar- or lever-style handles makes accessing kitchen items a little easier.
Faucets on kitchen and bathroom sinks are great for people with arthritis or grip issues. You can also replace twist faucet handles with levers. Another popular faucet upgrade is installing anti-scald faucets in your parent’s tub or shower. Anti-scald faucets prevent sudden bursts of hot water if the cold water is temporarily redirected due to the toilet being flushed or the washing machine filling up. Another way to prevent scalding is to lower the maximum water temperature on your parents' water heater to 120 degrees or less.
Are you looking for a vegetable garden that is easy to maintain? Consider growing your garden in raised garden boxes. Elevated raised gardens require less bending for planting, weeding, watering, and harvesting. A raised vegetable garden is also an excellent alternative for growing vegetables in difficult sites, such as hillsides. In these areas, depths can be adjusted easily to fit the slope of the hill. Depending on your individual needs, raised beds can take many forms, making them quite practical as well as beautiful. Wheelchair platforms allow you to maneuver around the beds with a walker or wheelchair with ease!
Prior to having selective surgery done a certified aging in place specialist can work together with an P.T. to best determine your post surgery needs.
