Making Your Home Accessible for Handicapped Seniors

Altering your home to accommodate a loved one’s disability is vital to their safety. Getting your wholehouse ready for someone with a disability is a challenge and will require you to make changes you never considered, but it will be very rewarding to provide your loved one with the accessibility they need to perform normal tasks and move about freely.

When preparing your home for a handicapped loved one, here are a few things you may need to think about:

• Bathrooms: This is perhaps the most important area of your home when installing handicap accommodations. The majority of serious falls that occur among senior citizens happen in the bathroom, so you must consider every possible way your loved one could be hurt when taking a shower, getting into the bath, using the toilet, or doing something as simple as opening a cabinet. Grab bars, toilet risers, grippers, and other safety tools can help prevent slips, falls, and serious injury.
• Floors: Unsecured rugs are a major no-no when you have a handicapped loved one in your home. Generally speaking, hard flooring (such as wood or tile) is best for people who have to use assistive devices such as wheel chairs, walkers, canes, etc. and for people who have difficulty transferring on their own. If you must keep a rug or thick, carpeted surface anywhere in your home, it is important to ensure it is secured to the floor using a strong adhesive.
• Ramps and Lifts: If your loved one has a wheelchair or if climbing steps is simply not an option, you may need to get a ramp installed outside your door. In cases of multi-story homes, it is much easier to set up your loved one downstairs and avoid the need to climb stairs. However, if going back and forth between the higher and lower floors is an absolute necessity, you may consider installing a wheelchair lift.
• Doorways: People who currently use wheelchairs or motorized power chairs may not be able to pass through a normal-sized doorway. If there is no way around their use of a wide assistive device, altering your doorways may become necessary.

At Home Support Can Help You Make Your Home Safe

We are experts in keeping our clients safe and our staff are well-acquainted with methods for helping handicapped people live safely at home for as long as possible. While we may not be able to assist you with widening your doorways or installing specific safety devices, we can help you evaluate your home, ensure it is as safe as possible, and provide the attentive in-home care they need to be happy and healthy. If you have a handicapped family member moving in with you, call At Home Support and let us help you make the necessary care preparations.

Request in-home care anywhere in Texas today by calling (877) 959-9093.