Ways to prepare your home for later life

Staying independent is important for many older people across the UK and some people decide to downsize and move to a smaller property.

However, if you are still living in the family home and don’t want to move there are lots of changes that can be made in anticipation for older age that will help you stay independent for longer.

This has now become a popular trend as more and more people aged over 60 are planning ahead and making changes to help them as they grow old.

If you are considering becoming one of these “future-proofers”, then here are some tips to prepare your home for older age.

Insert a stairlift

Reduced mobility is one of the major effects of old age and getting up and down the stairs can become a real struggle.

For anyone finding this task more difficult, then buying a stairlift should certainly be a consideration as this will continue to give an older person the freedom of going up and down stairs.

Stairlifts not only give older people freedom and independence as they also play a big part in keeping older people safe. Falling down stairs for an older person can mean a trip to hospital, but being seated into a stairlift means this risk is no longer a worry.

Making the bathroom accessible

Slipping and falling on wet floors and in baths and showers is unfortunately a common accident for people of all ages.

Those with mobility problems can also find it extremely difficult to get in and out of baths and showers, making it more difficult to wash and bathe.

This can easily be fixed as an easy access bath or shower will mean you don’t have to worry about climbing over the side of a bath to get in and out. There are also specialist baths and showers to help wheelchair users and those who need a carer.

Look at installing hand rails

Older people who struggle to walk should also consider buying handrails for the home.

A sturdy handrail can help give a person support and while buying a stairlift means that you won’t need handrails for the stairs it would be worth buying some to help get on and off the toilet or getting in and out of the shower.

You can also put them outside by doors, especially if there are steps leading to that particular door or in other areas of the house where they may be needed.

There are lots of retailers selling hand rails, but if there is a particular wooden design that would look great in your home, then Handrail Creations are at the forefront of creating wooden handrails. The manufacturers have created handrails for a number of luxury homes as well as for other prestigious projects like the Houses of Parliament.

Remove fall hazards

While most of these tips suggest installing things it is worth mentioning that removing fall hazards is another great way to prepare your home for later life.

This is quite a simple task as decluttering and removing loose mats and rugs is not a major project, but can really make a house more accessible. Low hanging wires are an often overlooked trip hazard and can easily be tidied away.

People that find it difficult to move around should look at rearranging furniture so that there are clear paths to walk between rooms.

Buy a riser recliner chair

The reduced mobility that is associated with older age means that as we grow old it could mean simple things like getting up from a chair can become troublesome.

This is why buying a riser recliner chair is a good idea as it takes out the struggles of getting in and out of a chair.

Some people enjoy spending hours in a chair both reading or watching films and therefore it makes sense to buy one that you can easily sit in. The modern riser recliner chairs are not only great for their support, but are renowned for their comfort and style.

Smart technology and gadgets for the home

In today’s modern world it is unsurprising that there are lots of smart technology and other gadgets available for the home. Many of these gadgets can help people prepare for older age and here we list some technology that can really help you.

Activity monitors

The Canary Care home monitoring system offers independence and peace of mind as the discreet, wireless sensors monitor a range of things. Movement, temperature and door activity can all be monitored with this technology, which doesn’t even need Wi-Fi.

Remote lighting controls

Lightwave offer a smart lighting service which allows people to create different lighting for whatever you are doing. People can set schedules and even control lights when they are out of the house or in different rooms. Older people can even use a remote socket or a smart plug to switch the kettle on or a light from the comfort of the sofa.

Temperature monitoring

There are even gadgets that can monitor the temperature in a home.

The Safety website, says, “Digital temperature sensors, which are often combined with humidity sensors, are placed in the areas of your home where you want to measure and monitor temperature.”

This information is then captured by the nearest device and a microprocessor will then transit its findings to a central thermostat.

The Safety website, adds, “The homeowner has access to the information via the remote thermostat, the central control panel, and by phone or internet. The temperature monitor is set to notify the homeowner if temperatures or humidity go out of a programmed range, typically below 45 degrees (7 ℃) and above 85 degrees (29 ℃). If connected to a home security monitoring system, the monitoring service watches the home’s temperature and alerts the homeowner if the temperatures go out of the programmed range.”

Smart hobs and cookers

Completely forgetting to turn off the hob and oven can pose a real danger to people and to the home itself.

Now there are a number of smart hobs and cookers available and these can all control heat levels and even turn off after reaching a certain temperature or after a certain amount of time has passed.

This news article is from Companion Stairlifts. Articles that appear on this website are for information purposes only.