The elderly will often need a bit of extra assistance when it comes to getting around inside the home and completing tasks that would come naturally to most younger people, such as showering, using the toilet, or even getting up the staircase to go to bed. Because the elderly may suffer from arthritis and other types of ailments or mobility issues, searching for different types of home adaptations for the elderly is a necessity. Family members should want to do what they can to make it easier for their ageing loved ones to get around, whether they need to use the toilet, take a shower, or go up and down a flight of stairs.
Add Grab Rails to the Washroom
If you have an elderly loved one that you are looking after and you want to make sure that this person can get around throughout the home without such a struggle, you should put grab rails in the washroom and even in other parts of the home if they are needed. One of the reasons it is such a good idea to put grab rails in the washroom is that the floor in the washroom can end up getting slippery, ultimately putting the elderly at a greater risk of slipping, falling, and seriously getting hurt. By placing these rails in convenient spots, your ageing loved one could grab a rail each time he or she is getting into the tub, walking out of the tub, and walking out of the washroom to get to the hallway.
Although they are ideal for the washroom, you can use the grab rails in other places, especially if your ageing loved one has slipped in the past. Choose spots that you feel are most convenient for your loved one and then complete the installation process to make sure that these rails are secure and are not going to fall directly from the wall.
Get a Stair Lift For the Staircase
Another convenient adaptation for the elderly is the stair lift. It is a convenient device that you can have installed on the staircase. Rather than walking up and down the staircase, lifting each foot with every step and dealing with the aches and pains that come along with those movements, you can make sure your loved one gets up and down a flight of stairs with ease by sitting in the chair that is attached to the staircase. Your loved one can sit in the chair, place the safety belt on, and then use a remote control to get the chair to begin moving up toward the top of the staircase.
An elderly person may need to go upstairs in his or her home several times a day to use the washroom and to access the bedroom. However, it often becomes frustrating for the elderly to constantly need to go up and down because of the mobility issues that he or she suffers from. The stair lift eliminates that problem while preventing accidents from taking place. After all, you would not want your elderly loved one to slip and fall while going up the staircase or coming down it after getting up in the morning or using the washroom.
Place a Raised Toilet Seat With Handlebars Over the Toilet
Some elderly people have a hard time using the toilet in their washrooms because it is hard for them to sit so low and then get back up again. While this is certainly problematic, there is a helpful and affordable solution that you should consider. Instead of replacing the toilet and looking for one that is much taller, you can simply place a raised toilet seat with handlebars over the toilet. These adjustable seats provide a bit more safety to seniors as they use the toilet while keeping them from bending too far down.
Put a Bath Seat in the Tub
When an elderly person cannot stand on his or her legs for too long, taking a shower becomes a challenge. However, the elderly may also have a hard time taking baths because it is incredibly uncomfortable for them to sit so low and then pull themselves up to get out of the tub. The best way to avoid this issue is to place a bath seat inside the tub. In fact, there are a lot of portable and affordable options that provide plenty of space for seniors to sit while they shower. It gives them more time to wash their bodies and reach areas that were once harder for them to reach, such as their legs and feet.
As a precautionary measure, you should look for bath seats that come with handles attached to each side. You want to make sure your elderly loved one has something to hold onto as he or she gets up from the shower seat and gets out of the tub. Some of these benches even come with safety belts to keep seniors from slipping while they are washing their bodies.
Home adaptations can make such a huge difference for the elderly. Because aging people often have a harder time getting around and doing certain things inside the home, such as showering or getting to the toilet in time, it always helps to make some changes inside the home that can benefit these individuals. If you have an elderly loved one who could use a bit of extra help, these are some of the adaptations that you should consider.
