Home Improvement Ideas for Seniors

Falls are the one of the leading causes of injuries among seniors. Serious falls lead to severe pain, paralysis, bone fractures, and in some cases, even death. We usually think that our home is the safest place for our senior loved ones, but that is not always true. Seniors accidents occur at home all the time. However, with some precautions, it is possible to avoid some risks of such a mishap happening.

Here are some home improvement ideas to increase the safety of seniors at home.

1. Floors and surfaces: Make sure that the floors are non-slippery. Non-skid, non-plush mats should also be placed in risk prone areas such as near the bath tub or shower or in front of the kitchen sink. For bathroom floors, non-slip or patterned tiles should be used to reduce or avoid falls from moisture. 
2. Doorways: Choose door hardware with a lever handle rather than a door knob. The lever handle requires less force to operate, making it much easier for seniors.
3. Emergency and safety devices: To increase your senior loved one’s safety at home, home safety alarms should be installed. These include gas detector alarms, smoke detector alarms, fire alarms, water detector alarms and several others. Make sure to regularly check the battery in each.
4. Lighting: Proper lighting should be placed in the bathroom, bedroom, hallways, staircase and other risk prone areas. Light switches should be easily reachable.
5. Grab bars: Grab bars are essential for seniors to avoid accidental falls. They should be installed in areas such as bathrooms or staircases.
6. Remove unnecessary furniture: Do not keep any unnecessary furniture. This will largely help in avoiding falls as seniors will have more space to walk without tripping over anything. 
7. Remove rugs: Either remove rugs or tack them down to ensure the senior doesn’t slip or trip on them. 
8. Declutter the house: Remove clutter and rearrange furniture to have a clear walking path. Make sure that the items your senior loved one frequently uses are within reach and doesn’t require a step ladder.

If you are unable to take care of your senior loved for whatever reason, hire a caregiver who will help them remain at home and help manage their day to day tasks, including their health, medication and meals. Contact Always Best Care for the best In Home Senior Caregivers in Vancouver. For more information, call (778) 945-3010.