Home modifications for seniors
The Investment in Aging in Place
Today we’re talking home investments because determining if and when it is the right time for home modifications can be an extremely tough decision to make. Sometimes, the choice is taken right out of your hands when the work just can’t wait, leading to you forking out for a new roof, repairing a leaky basement, or replacing heating and air conditioning at shorter notice than you might have liked. Other decisions like remodelling a kitchen or bathroom become a more personal enterprise – one you look forward to and save up for knowing it will improve your home experience.
The longer we spend in our homes, the more both of these types of situations arise, leading to us moulding our house to our changing needs, giving it the TLC it needs to make us feel completely at home. However, there comes a time when a house isn’t quite meeting our needs. Though we may want to stay put, changing circumstances make us feel like it’s just not possible… without some modifications, that is.
More seniors than ever are choosing to Age in Place
Just as a house may need some updates to stay in good shape, essential tweaks may be required to accommodate its residents to grant them the freedom of movement they may need to make use of all areas, barrier-free.
Especially in the past year, changes brought on by stay-at-home orders and rising skepticism around institutional care have led to more and more seniors making that all-important decision to stay at home as they age, seeing it as the only real option. However, many have never heard of, or contributed to, an RSSP…. Registered Stairlift Saving Program!
Knowing what to invest in and how to go about it therefore, understandably, becomes a primary concern. The remodelling project you may have dreamed about, whether for months or years, starts to take on a new look – one that incorporates both safety and accessibility. But how do you go about making that all-important decision about what you actually need?
Home modifications: Determining problem areas in a house
The first step to moulding a house to its residents’ needs is to work out their needs by carrying out a home assessment. That’s when you walk around the entire home and assess where any potential dangers lie, what the seniors that live in it have trouble doing, and what could simply be improved for added comfort. Some areas you may wish to focus on include:
- Stairs
- Dark hallways
- Coils / wires / rugs on the floor
- Kitchens, especially cabinets
- Bathrooms
In addition to considering current risks and necessities, an essential part of a home assessment is considering future needs so that they can be provided for before they become problems, therefore making the most of the renovation to bring long-term peace of mind.
Home modifications: Which ones are right for you?
After pinpointing specific risk/difficulty areas, once you have decided that a renovation is the right path towards fixing those problems, comes the next step: finding the right solution to each situation. All options need to be assessed closely, from handholds and railings to home tech, entrances and exits. Have your initial plan in place? The final determining step is ensuring the design, look and functionality of the project. In short: will the solutions you’ve found solve the problems, fit into your home, and look good?
Home modifications: Solving the problem of the stairs with a Homelift
Another consideration when looking at the stairs, in particular, is a home elevator, with the added benefit of being the ultimate design solution. What can be considered an insurance policy of sorts, a Homelift ensures that even if a house’s residents’ mobility decreases, they’ll be able to keep using all of it, rather than slowly becoming more and more limited in their movements due to struggles with using the stairs. A solution that prepares a home for the future, a homelift should be considered in any home remodel geared towards aging in place.