Age In Place With These 5 Tips for Making Any Home More Accessible

Life expectancy continues to rise incrementally here in America. Already a quarter of the population is age 50 or over. Many Americans are experiencing the challenges of caring for an aging loved one and are being forced to consider their retirement and aging plans as well.This new wave of seniors will benefit from technological advancements not available to their grandparents. There are numerous products and home renovations that make living at home well into one's old age a viable option.
A design philosophy known as "universal design" has given birth to a home remodeling niche known as "aging in place". By making your home easily accessible to individuals of any physical or mental level you can ensure that your home will be accessible to you or a loved one as you or they age.
There are preventive measures and techniques that can be taken to decrease the likelihood of a mishap in accident prone areas around the house. Unfortunately, action is not taken prior to the occurrence of an accident in one's home. Only after slipping over an entryway threshold, or being unable to use the shower/bath, or having difficulty climbing the stairs does one actually consider the universal design that is needed in the home.
There are many things one can do to make the home more easily accessible for all. Below we will outline five products and home design ideas for accessibility.

Accessibility Tip #1: Use lever knobs instead of traditional turn knobs.
It is much easier for individuals with joint issues and arthritis suffers to pull a lever than turning a traditional door knob. Installing new door handles is a very simple way to equip your home for use by anyone.

Accessibility Tip #2: Replace shower curtains with trackless doors.
Shower curtains can allow some water to escape the shower area causing the floor to get wet. Water on typical bathroom tiling would be a mishap waiting to happen for anyone. Now consider dealing with those conditions as a person with limited mobility. Install trackless shower doors to contain water completely in the shower area.

Accessibility Tip #3: Threshold barriers trip people and limit wheelchairs.
As a young and vibrant person one hardly notices the small effort required to surmount the threshold barriers built into the entryways of most homes. As the knees become weaker and legs become heavier, however, these entryways become far more difficult to navigate.
So imagine trying to surpass these obstacles using a walker or cane. It would be far more difficult to do so under those conditions. And it would be nearly impossible to do so with a wheelchair.
Be sure to have at least one entryway that does not have any threshold barriers when building or renovating your home. Also, make hallways and entryways to major areas of the home easily accessible for canes, walkers, and wheelchairs.

Accessibility Tip #4: Install grab bars in the shower/bath area and next to toilets.
This simple addition will give dignity and independence to people with limited mobility while using the bathroom. It can be difficult to sit down, stand up, or walk through a wet area without the proper leverage and support. Well placed grab bars are a great addition to bathroom areas.

Accessibility Tip #5: Stair lifts are great for multi level homes.
Some seniors prefer to stay in the home they raised their children in. Generally, these homes have stairs due to multiple levels. Stairs pose a huge obstacle and restrict limited mobility individuals to one level of the house.

While a single level ranch style house would be preferred, stairlifts are a great option for assisting one up the stairs.A stair lift is no longer a bulky, unattractive, and slow moving contraption. Advancements in technology have made the stairlift leaner, quicker, and customizable to fit taste or décor.
It is far more acceptable now more than ever for an individual to believe they can remain in their home well into their old age. It is absolutely necessary to begin taking steps now to make that future a reality. Allow an aging in place specialist to show you all the things you will want or need to remain in your home long term.