There comes a time in everyone’s life where they need to start taking care of their parents, not the other way around – and the first stage of that is usually just making sure they’ve got everything they need to maintain their independence while still living at home, by addressing any mobility needs they might have and ensuring everything household related is taken care of for them. This can be an expensive business, but it’s usually just a one-time investment and if you look in the right places it’s worth the investment of time and money to get the job done right and keep the family happy. So what are some things you might want to look at if you’re looking at redoing a senior’s property?
- DIY Equipment
If you’ve got the skills to do some of the work yourself, you will want to look into getting the right equipment for the job. It’s one thing to use your old drill and slightly questionable spirit level when you’re just putting up a bookshelf at home, but when you’re talking about installing safety equipment and addressing mobility needs you’re going to need to make sure it’s as accurate as possible. To do that, you will want to look into an equipment rental company like Horizon Measurements that can provide high-quality and accurate equipment to you so you can get on with the job without having to actually buy tools you won’t need again.
- Mobility equipment
You have to be aware that addressing mobility needs might be a little more involved than adding a couple more banisters or reducing slippery floors – it might be necessary to look into stair chairs or home lifts to help your senior relatives move around their home easily. While the traditional image of this kind of equipment can be pretty industrial and unappealing, more modern companies like Vuelift offer well-designed mobility equipment that actually look pretty sophisticated – which makes the idea a lot more palatable.
Similarly, changes may also need to be made in living areas. The sitting room, for example, is the perfect place to sit and relax. As you get older, however, it becomes harder and harder to fall back into that soft, squidgy sofa, and even harder to get back up again. As an alternative, a lift chair can be used, helping to bring the occupant down to the right level, and bring them back up again to stand. The best lift chairs for elderly parents are those that have hidden extras, like cup holders for drinks, and built-in tables for reading glasses, TV remotes and serving meals. These extra features make the chair both comfortable and practical, helping to maintain the occupant’s independence.
- Decoration
This is definitely the least important part in terms of practicality, but maybe the most important in terms of morale. Reaching a stage in your life where you need to think about things like getting a stairlift can be a little depressing, and a big problem for those that want to remain independent in their homes is that their homes start to look like nursing facilities because of all the equipment and accessibility changes. The easiest way to combat this is, after any equipment and modifications are installed, go crazy on a home decor website like Ovedecors.com to make sure the home still looks like a home, not a facility.
Making sure your parents or senior relatives are able to remain independent in their homes for as long as possible is a difficult but important thing to achieve – if you can get it right and make sure they still feel like they’re living in their own space, you’ve done a fabulous job.
