Easy home modifications to help seniors age in place safely

Grab Bars

According to the New York Times, CDC statistics clearly point to the bathroom as the most dangerous room in any house. Adults over the age of 65 represent the vast majority of these injuries, which are mostly due to falls when using a shower, bath, or toilet. Installing grab bars is an easy way to prevent this and could save you from a nasty fall.

Slipping and Tripping Hazards

You probably don’t notice all the slipping and tripping hazards lying around your house, but as you grow older, these will become increasingly likely to affect you — and cause real damage. Go around your house and look out for the following:

• Clutter - Your floor should be clear of any obstacles or excess stuff. If you are struggling to find a place for everything, you need to look into new and innovative ways to upgrade your storage — and maybe consider de-cluttering your accumulated possessions.

• Cables - Electronic cables should be out of the way at all times. According to Kotaku, cable ties are your friends, as are accessories and furniture that can hide cords.

• Rugs - Rugs and carpets can be beautifully decorative, but they’re also extremely dangerous. Watch out for any curling around the edges, which could constitute a tripping hazard, and tape this down using specialist rug tape. If you have smooth and slippery flooring, you should also place non-slip grips under all rugs.

Landscaping Fixes

Your yard should also be senior-friendly, meaning you need to check for cracked pavements, displaced stones, or uneven brickwork. Make sure that any external stairs, however small, have a secure railing to hold onto. It’s also a good idea to check the structural integrity of your deck or porch if you haven’t done so in a while.

If you are a gardener, make sure you have a convenient container or gardening belt to keep your tools off the ground where they could pose a tripping hazard.

Moving to a New House

Most of these modifications are quite straightforward, but there are other ones that can be more complicated. Rewiring a house with poor lighting, installing a stair lift, and widening doorways for the use of a wheelchair or walker are complex renovations with higher budgets.

If you these are not an option for you, you may have to consider moving to an accessible home that’s within your budget. Saying goodbye to a beloved house can be difficult, but it’s important to prioritize your safety and comfort in the years to come if you intend to age in place independently.

You can start by finding out the cost of an accessible home in your area. You can do this by using online filters to include only accessible homes. Make sure to keep a checklist of necessary features as you search, and give this to your realtor if you choose to work with one.

Overall, you need to be honest with yourself and evaluate whether your home is suitable for growing old in. If you can make it safe and accessible with a few simple changes, implement them as soon as possible. If it’s more complicated than that, you will need to ask yourself whether you’d rather invest a lot of time and money into adjusting your current house or whether it would be better to simply move to a smaller, more accessible house.