As our family members get older, they will need more help when caring for themselves, which requires you to step in and do what it takes to keep them comfortable. If the idea of relocating your senior family member to another place is out of the question, the only other thing to do is move them in with you and make the necessary accommodations.
If you're unsure where to start, you've come to the right place. We have some suggestions that you could use to ensure your home is adapted properly to meet the needs of your senior family member when they move in with you.
Stair Lift
As you get older, going up and down stairs constantly can become challenging for several reasons. And with someone that is older in age, it can pose a fall risk if they are trying to climb the stairs and have difficulty doing things like lifting their legs up and down or if they accidentally trip on something that might be present on the stairs.
If you have stairs in your home, the first accommodation you might consider making is having a stair lift installed. We recommend that you look into the StairliftHelper to make it easier for your family member to get up and down the stairs. It completely removes the need for your family member to climb the stairs themselves and allows them to sit as it does all the work for them.
This is helpful because they can conserve energy and safely get up and down the stairs.
Widen Doorways
Another accommodation you can make is widening the doorways in your home to make it easier for people to get through. If your family member has the equipment they need to be mobile such as a walker or wheelchair, it can be challenging to get through doorways without maneuvering through things like a puzzle.
You should widen the doorways, making it easier to get through the home. Of course, we recommend you speak with a contractor before doing this because there are other factors to consider before you widen them.
Other factors that could determine whether you're able to open up doorways would be where electrical wiring is, as well as other outlets that could drive up the cost of making this accommodation.
Outdoor Ramps
Much like it's harder to get up the stairs in the home, it can be harder to get up the few stairs present outside of the home. You need to have ramps installed to make it easier for your loved one to get around and easier for you.
If you have to push your family member in a wheelchair, you want to make things as easy on yourself as possible. You could also have rubber put in place over the lip of the doorway and the sidewalk because those can cause a hitch when you're trying to get over them.
Bathtub
Generally, bathtubs are deep and hard to get into as you get older. The last thing you want is for your loved one to fall trying to get in and out of the bathtub or shower. This is why making modifications to the bathtub and shower will help them preserve their privacy while taking care of their needs safely.
There are several ways you can make changes to the bathroom, including installing a door to the bathtub that converts the tub into a walk-in bathtub. It will also help if a shower chair is installed in the shower and a handrail that your loved one can hold on to while they are in there because water can make things slippery and a safety hazard.
Medical Alert System
You can't watch your family member around the clock at all times, which means you need to have a way to notify emergency services when it's needed. If your loved one gets stuck or falls when you aren't at home, what are they supposed to do to get help?
It's essential to have a medical alert system that they can press for emergency situations because when a person finds themselves in these situations, time is of the essence to get the car they need. No one wants to find out that their loved one was on the floor for hours without a way to call for the help they need.
Accommodations to Make For Senior Loved Ones
When it comes to moving your loved one into your home, it helps if you make accommodations to make the transition easier for them. From changing the options, they have to get up and down the stairs to installing a medical system so they can call for help.
Want to know more? Check out some of the other posts we've created for you.