While there are many attractive retirement communities, there are also people who want to remain in their home for their entire lives or at least as long as possible. There are several steps you can take to make your home more livable to help ensure that you are able to age in place. You don’t have to wait until you are older to make these changes either. If you are younger but living in the home you hope to retire in, you can spread the costs of these changes over a period of years. Another advantage of these changes is that they can make a home more livable for anyone experiencing disability for any reason, such as recovery from surgery or a broken limb.
Maintaining Mobility
You can certainly implement holistic health remedies to fix your aches and pains but what will happen as you age, and your mobility is compromised beyond a yoga session? Making sure that you can still move about safely is one of the most critical elements of age-proofing your home. Exterior ramps can help you deal with any stairs outside. If you live in a house with two or more floors, you may want to look into wheelchair lifts. As you get older, you should think about potential obstacles to your mobility. For example, if you have smooth hardwood floors and throw rugs, this could present a slip-and-fall hazard. It might be safer to either have carpet or secure the rugs. Bars in the shower can help prevent falls.
Universal Design
The concept of universal design is all about having a home that is functional for people with a wide range of abilities. This might include a mechanism in the shower to protect against scalding, a lower cook top in the kitchen and levers instead of doorknobs to make doors easier to handle. In addition, if there are particular tasks that you are having trouble with, such as dressing or washing dishes, you might be able to have an aide come in and assist you with these.
Some types of long-term care insurance may pay for these types of services. If you are considering this type of insurance, it’s generally a good idea to purchase it well before you need it. You can review a guide on LTC benefits as well as any potential drawbacks to help you decide if this should be part of your solution.
Smart Home Solutions
Smart technology can greatly improve the quality of life of people who may be less dexterous, less mobile or who have vision problems because of aging or for any other reason. Some of the best smart home devices can be voice-activated instead of requiring someone to read dials and turn knobs. This can help with watching movies, listening to music, making phone calls, turning on lights and changing temperatures.
Temperature controls can also be automated based on various factors, including where you are in the house at any given time. Smart doorbells can show you who is at the door, which can be helpful if you are bedridden or struggle to move about quickly. There are also many smart device solutions to caring for your home, such as robot vacuum cleaners and sprinkler systems that can detect when your lawn needs water.