Home Accessibility Modifications Your Senior Might Need

Your aging relatives may suffer from the affects of aging, such as decreased mobility or lack of coordination. When they start to develop these signs, you want to make accommodations so they can stay safe in their home. Our professionals in home health care in Philadelphia, PA understand these challenges and offer our expertise to help you and your family overcome these obstacles. It often starts with creating a safe place with proper preventative measures in place. These are a few accessibility modifications that may need to be made to your home when you live with a senior.

Installing a Shower Chair or Rail

Slippery surfaces can pose risks as you age and your coordination becomes more compromised. If you do not take the proper safety measures, you may encounter trip and fall accidents that result in broken bones or muscle sprains. By installing a shower chair or tub and shower rails, you give them something to stabilize them and hold onto to prevent any accidents while they bathe.

Building a Ramp

Exterior stairs can become a challenge for seniors that need walkers or wheelchairs. They can also pose hazards for those who have limited mobility or a lack of balance. To prepare their home for them, you may need to build ramps over the stairs, which allow access for wheelchairs or easier walking access. You may also need indoor threshold ramps if there are a few stairs to travel from room-to-room in your home. These ramps prevent any accidents and also allow easy access throughout the home.

Modifying the Kitchen

You may find that appliances are no longer suitable or safe for your senior loved ones. Those living in wheelchairs may no longer be able to reach the top of the counter or wash their hands in the sinks. You may need to remove dangerous appliances, lower countertop heights, and lower sinks to areas that are safe and easy to access for your loved ones. Move highly used appliances, like microwaves, close to the front of the counter to make these easily accessible.

Changing the Floors

Flooring is also important to preventing trip and fall accidents and promoting the mobility of wheelchairs and walkers in your home. If you have shaggy carpet, it may need to be replaced with laminate or vinyl flooring to have a smoother surface. If you need to keep carpet, consider carpets with less nap to prevent snagging or difficulty moving.

Widening Doorways

If your loved one relies on a walker or wheelchair to get around, you may need to widen doorways to allow enough clearance for their assistive technology. Widening doorways can be both cheap or expensive depending on the level of cushioning and placement of electrical near the doorway. To prepare a budget for this job, you will want to talk with a professional contractor.

When you require changes to your home in order to maintain your safety and health, you may also need some assistance to practice household responsibilities and health care needs. Contact Empire Home Health in Philadelphia, PA to hear how we can help you today.