Friendly Home Modifications for Seniors Aging in Place featured image

Friendly Home Modifications for Seniors Aging in Place

A lot of older people have a strong desire to remain independent and in control of their lives, even when they age. Therefore, many hope to age in their homes than in a relative’s house or a senior living community.

Families want to ensure that their senior loved ones’ decisions are taken into consideration. Even when they would rather put their loved ones in aged care facilities, they would still consider their elder members’ wish to age in their own homes. Some families will avail of services for home care assistance in CT to grant their senior members wish to age in place and ensure that they get the help they need when accomplishing chores and other home activities.

Various activities, such as grocery shopping, cooking meals, housekeeping, laundry, and personal care, may become more challenging to seniors as they age. It is because the aging process also affects a person’s physical, sensory, and cognitive abilities. Hence, people may have difficulties performing tasks as they continue to grow old because of decreased muscle strength, reduced flexibility, the gradual decline of vision, hearing, smelling, and slow information processing. Due to this, families hire healthcare workers who can assist their seniors at home.

Families can either hire hourly caregivers who will visit seniors for a couple of hours per week or have 24 hour caregivers Portland CT who will provide around-the-clock care to seniors. A live-in caregiver can give older adults more independence and individualized, personalized care. They can assure families that their senior members can maintain their quality of life in the comfort of their homes.

Besides hiring a caregiver to assist and take care of seniors aging in place, families should also consider modifying their elder members’ homes to make the area safer and senior-friendly. They can install safety equipment, such as bed railings, lift chairs, stairway railings, bathroom grab bars, bathtub or shower transfer bench, to help them navigate home areas efficiently and safely. Accordingly, the installation of assistive technologies can also be an ally of families to make a home safer for seniors.

Consequently, families need to declutter items considered as environmental hazards in areas inside the house. It will help them decrease the chances of seniors falling or tripping. They should tuck away electrical or extension cords over the doorway or beneath the floor coverings, improve lighting in the house by adding more lights or changing bulbs with brighter lights, and changing worn out or slippery carpets or throw rugs. This infographic from Euro-American Connections & Homecare lists some friendly home modifications for seniors aging in place.