Small Changes Can Have a Big Impact on Home Safety
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As a Certified Aging in Place Specialist, we take a "whole house" view of planning and building. We are not only focused on significant home modifications; but we know that often it's the small changes that have the biggest impact on the comfort, safety, and ease of access for our clients. The "art" of making homes work better as aging in place environments comes from years of experience and training, and in-depth knowledge of universal design and barrier-free concepts. We want to pass along several of our hard-earned lessons on the "little things" of aging in place.
Lever Up: Swap out door knobs! As we age, doorknobs can become difficult to turn or twist. Lever handles, on the other hand, are always easy to manage, even when carrying packages. They're inexpensive to install and substantially improve the convenience level of your home.
The subject of handles. We like to get rid of cabinets knobs too and replace them with D-shaped handles. They're so much easier to grip.
What about rocker-type light switches? Why deal with an up and down flip switch when a simple push on a rocker switch will do the trick.
How about some lighting? Nothing improves safety like a little more light attached to a dimmer switch or motion sensor. Low lighting at night eases the path to a bathroom or kitchen; motion sensors can automatically turn on a lamp when entering a room. They're inexpensive to buy and install
What about bathroom and kitchen faucets. Yes, there are lots of simple solutions. We like lever, touch, or sensor style faucets instead of turn knobs. And a recent innovation is color sensor technology for water temperature alerts. Water too hot: you'll see a red light warning!
Still climbing stairs but not ready for the "lift." Consider installing railings on both sides of the staircase. It's a small but beneficial way to reduce falls (and make climbing stairs a lot easier)
While we're holding on, let's not forget grab bars that should be solidly anchored to the wall (no suction cups). Decorative/double duty bars are readily available and can be disguised as towel racks, soap holders, etc.
Handheld showerheads. Here's a simple, low-cost solution that's useful when seated or standing in the shower. It can be installed on a sliding bar (or grab bar for added safety!) to move up and down.
Don't have room for a wider doorway? Consider a door with swing-away or swing-clear hinges to provide a larger opening. We have other solutions to create wide doors for increased mobility.
Show them your address. Aging in Place sometimes means medical emergencies, and that's when you want responders to spot your home quickly. We recommend a highly visible street address that provides quick and unambiguous home identification. Often overlooked, it's a critical (and inexpensive) home improvement) that can save lives.
Home-Tech. Home monitoring systems and medical alerts are "dollar-wise" installations that add a considerable measure of safety and peace of mind. Automatic fall detection and activity monitors are just a few of the features offered; we consider this a must-have if you're living alone.
Put some color on the walls! Use different paint colors for walls, floors counter edges, and stairs to help identify transitions. The cost is low; the visual benefit is significant.
We enjoy discovering home improvements that are inexpensive but add safety and comfort value to our clients' homes. Aging in Place doesn't have to be expensive, and with thoughtful planning, smart, cost-effective solutions can often rule the day. The above suggestions are just a sample of ideas that we bring to clients when meeting to design and build aging in place improvements.
