For many people, being able to stay in their own homes for as long as possible is the ultimate goal. They don’t want to have to move to a different home, an assisted living community, or a nursing home if they can help it. However, this is often necessary if your home is no longer suitable for you. If you would like to avoid this, you can try to design a home that will still work for you as you grow older. Whether you build a new home or renovate your existing home, you can make choices that help to set you up for later life but also work for you now.
Think About Stairs
When you get older, problems with mobility can arise. One of the things that can be a big problem is getting up and down stairs. If you’re building or buying a new home, you can ensure it’s all on one level so that you can avoid this issue. However, if you would prefer to have a multi-level home or already own one, there are ways to prepare for this. Looking at the home elevator cost for installation can help you to decide if it might be the right choice for your home. It will allow you to get up and down the stairs even if you have less mobility.
Make Moving Around Easier
Other issues with moving around your home might also be necessary to navigate. You could find walking more difficult and might use a mobility aid, such as a cane, walking frame, or wheelchair. With this in mind, it’s a good idea to design a home that is easier to get around. Some things to consider might be open-plan living with few obstacles, wider doorways, no-step entries, and keeping things on the same level.
Design Accessible Bathrooms and Kitchen
The kitchen and bathrooms in your home can require the biggest changes if your mobility and health are affected by old age. If you want these rooms to work for you for longer, you can make design choices that help to improve usability and safety. In the bathroom, you can do things like installing a shower seat or walk-in bath. In the kitchen, it might be useful to have features like a hands-free faucet or under-cabinet lighting. Making these choices now can prevent you from having to do it in the future when it might not be affordable or convenient.
Set Up a Smart Home
Using technology to improve your home could help you to make it a better home to grow old in place. Smart tech can enable you to do many things, making it easier to operate various things around your home. You can use it to control your lighting, keep your home secure, entertain yourself, run your appliances, and more. Set up your smart home now and you can keep it up to date as the years go by.
By designing your home in the right way now, you can make sure it’s ready for you when you’re older.