Did someone in your family just become disabled due to an accident or injury? Are there elderly people in your house? If so, you must take steps and minimize exposed risks in your house so that these people remain safe and comfortable. We talked to some home designing experts and they suggested some ideas that can increase the accessibility in your house. Some of these are immediate and can easily be taken care of. Others are more expensive, but are safer for the long run.
Stairs and Entryway
According to a survey, most of home accidents take place on the stairs or on in the bathroom. As such, you should make sure that the stairs in your house are absolutely safe and will not allow people to fall over. Your stairways must be lighted well and there must not be any objects lying on them. Place a bench or chair nearby so that elderly visitors can rest after climbing. Same goes for your entryways. If you can, install a non skid tread or runner so that chances of a fall are decreased even more.
If your entryway or stairs are too narrow, you should think about widening them or installing a ramp near them. Both of these ideas are expensive, and you should discuss these possibilities with home designers before implementing them.
Bedroom and Bathroom
Disabled elderly people must be allotted a bedroom that is either on the ground or the first floor. If there is no empty room, you should vacate one or convert any area of your house into a temporary bedroom. Whichever room you choose, there must be ample space by the bed for a wheelchair or a walker.
The bedroom must have an attached bathroom as well. Right next to the toilet seat, affix a hand bar on the wall and install a pressure balanced shower in the bathing area. If any disabled people require medicines that must be stored at lower temperatures, you should also invest in a cooling medicine cabinet.
Kitchens
A disabled person will not really need to enter the kitchen often, but you should make it safe. Round off all the edges of your countertops and replace your cabinet hardware with lever handles. If any cabinet is not easily reachable, convert it into a swing out shelf.
Act on our suggested tips and your home will be safer for all elderly and disabled people.
Source: www.zillow.com
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