Adapting your home for your older parent
As we age, everyday tasks we once performed without a second thought become more and more difficult. Whether you need to get in and out of bed, use the toilet, or take a bath—any and all of these can suddenly require more energy or mobility than we can summon
When this happens, we can feel a great loss of independence, confidence and sense of self-worth, which can ultimately damage our overall quality of life
Many older people around the world find their children, or grandchildren, ask them to live with them and care for them. This is a kind gesture and requires some self-sacrifice, but it is also a considerable commitment: takes time, money, and a complete restructuring of your entire life
Whilst some of us may believe we’d prefer to bring our parents into our own home and care for them ourselves rather than place them in a retirement home, the reality of taking on such a huge commitment may be rather different to how we imagine it
In order to accommodate your parent, you will need to adapt your home to suit their needs. Whether your parent is infirm due to arthritis, illness, or injury, various changes will be needed to help make them safer, more comfortable and happier in your home. What should these be?
The bathroom can be a hazardous place for anyone with mobility problems: wet floors, getting on and off the toilet and climbing into and out of the bath can all pose serious threats
Various features can be added to help create a safer environment. An elevated toilet seat with armrests can help considerably by reducing the amount of effort required to sit and stand, while the addition of grab bars can help even further by providing sturdy handholds
Grab bars are also essential for making getting in and out of the bath easier and safer. Accessible bathtubs, however, offer even greater comfort and security, as they allow the user to get in and out of the bath with the assistance of either a door in the side or a transfer bench. This will allow your parent to bathe in privacy, without needing to rely on the assistance of somebody else
Your elderly parent might find using a standard bed uncomfortable, whether because they can’t sit or stand by themselves, or because they struggle to get into a comfortable position on a basic mattress. Adjustable beds can revitalise an elderly parent’s sleeping patterns: they allow the user to change the height of the bed, the position of the mattress and provide various alternatives to simply lying on a flat level
This can also provide a huge benefit to people who need to spend much of their time in bed, as if allows them to find comfortable new positions whilst reducing the pressure on one part of the body from time to time, preventing painful bed sores
Installing a Stair Lift
Stair lifts are a perennial favourite for elderly people, as they provide simple-to-use, safe mobility assistance which still allows them to maintain some independence
These reduce the potential dangers posed by trying to climb or descend stairs unassisted (falling down stairs is a common cause of serious injury amongst the elderly)
If you are caring for your ageing parent, a stair lift allows them the freedom to move from one floor to another on their own, whether they want some time to themselves or if you’re busy with other tasks
Enhancing your Lounge
For the very infirm, simply getting in and out of their favourite chair can be a cause for anxiety and discomfort—whether arthritis or weakness is to blame, this can be much more difficult than some of us may ever believe possible
Riser recliner chairs, however, can be added to your living room or lounge to help your parent sit and stand with ease, preventing the aches, pains and strains that may be caused from having to exert themselves
As they’re remote-controlled, riser recliner chairs offer a similar degree of versatility as adjustable beds do, allowing the user to find the right position for their needs, ideal for those who sit for long periods
Riser recliners shift to ease the sitter into a standing position, removing the need for them to support their own weight (which may be difficult or even impossible). Other adjustments may need to be made to your lounge or living room to make your ageing parent more comfortable and welcome, such as installing grab bars beside their chair to help them steady themselves upon standing, as well as clearing coffee tables and other furnishings to allow room for their walking frames
As mentioned earlier, caring for an elderly relative is a huge commitment which will change your entire life, but it can be made easier thanks to modern technology. Adapting your home is just one change that needs consideration and planning, while there are many resources and organisations able to help you prepare for the more complex areas of this transition
myageingparent.com has teamed up with Design for Independence Ltd, a private specialist housing occupational therapy company, to help your elderly relatives adapt their home to maintain their independence
Get help now by calling 01799 588056 and quoting ‘myageingparent’
Or fill in the form for more information
Please note that Design for Independence do not provide rehab sessions or services.
Please note that Design for Independence are unable to provide information regarding local authority provision and eligibility criteria for public funds; please contact your local authority directly for this information.
Disclaimer: All services are provided by Design for Independence and myageingparent.com has no responsibility or liability for the products or services provided by Design for Independence. All requests and complaints should be addressed directly to Design for Independence. myageingparent.com bears no responsibility for goods and services purchased via third parties featured on this website.
Drake Foster is a freelance writer specialising in healthcare and coping with advancing age; he uses sites such as Adjustable Beds for research.
