The baby boomer generation is starting to reach retirement age. As this occurs more and more people from that generation are choosing to live in their own homes instead of moving into independent living facilities or senior care homes. One of the issues that arise in these situations is the safety of individuals living on their own when faced with issues that seniors face. The biggest issue being more limited mobility or mobility using a walker, cane or wheelchair. One of the biggest challenges seniors face is within the bathroom. In order to create a bathroom that is safe for individuals wishing to age in place take into consideration the following ideas.
First it is important that from every angle in the bathroom individuals are able to access a bathroom grab bar. The addition of grab bars allows seniors extra support as they enter and exit the shower area. They are also there to support seniors during their showers if at any point the individual feels off balance before a fall occurs. Additional grab bars should be placed on the sides of the toilet allowing individuals to sit or stand with ease.
A shower seat should be installed to accommodate ageing in place seniors. Even better than using a portable seat in the tub is having one that is built directly in to a walk-in barrier free shower. Depending on the type of bathroom remodeling you can afford you can adjust the type of renovations. If a new shower with a built in seat is not affordable a portable shower seat will work just as well.
Look into updating the hardware in place on all of the cabinets within the bathroom. Knobs are more difficult for elderly hands to grasp. For this reason it is best to replace the hardware with pulls that are large enough to grasp. For seniors who are limited in the movement that have with their hands the hardware pulls need to be easily drawn out.
Bathroom shelving is another area of concern for seniors with limited mobility. When faced with a body that has become riddled with arthritis essentials placed in the back of the cabinets becomes unable to be accessed. All shelves within the cabinets should be replaced with shelving that is able to be pulled out for easy access to items within the depths of the shelf. This will allow for optimal storage and ease of use to seniors choosing to age in place.
Lighting is another concern for aging eyes. Seniors need additional lighting within the bathroom to be safe while using the space independently. More lighting is needed for simple everyday tasks that seniors were used to doing with dim lighting. Caution should be used when updating the bathroom lighting to prevent glare which would make it difficult to see, the opposite affect we are going for. Bathroom lighting renovations should use direct lighting with fluorescent colors for the best results. Add in additional lighting within the shower stall as well.
Age in place remodeling is something that all adults need to consider as they renovate different rooms within their homes. It is cheaper to add in universal design elements into each room renovation as you are updating your home then when it becomes necessity later on.
The Home Doctor, based in Livingston County including Brighton and Howell Michigan, offers a variety of home renovations to clients ranging from bathroom remodeling to age in place home modifications. Contact http://glenmillerthehomedoctor.com/ today all of your home renovating needs.