Apr 04
Homes, unlike most other things in our lives, are somewhat permanent. So when doing a major overhaul, it’s wise to plan about 20 years into the future. 75% of homeowners plan to retire in their present homes, so most people making these changes to their homes will reap the advantage of it themselves.
Some of the areas to pay special attention to while prepping up your home for old age are:
- Make the home wheelchair-friendly. Install a ramp to approach the porch, an elevator if needed, and widen doors to accommodate the wheelchair’s width.
- Provide ample handholds, especially in slippery areas like the bathroom or alongside inclines. Have the grab bars reinforced and made accessible to the wheelchair-bound.
- Remember that eyesight and hand-eye coordination suffer in old age. Install levers instead of screw-type handles on faucets, have drawers that glide in and out smoothly on channels, and have lots of shallow shelves in heights reachable from a wheelchair.
- Keep electrical outlets at a height, but the switches comfortably low. Make sure that there is no chance of water spilling onto electrical outlets.
- Install lever handles instead of knobs on the doors. Also install locks that can be unlocked from either side in an emergency.
- Minimize the danger of slipping by using hardwood flooring, non-slip tiles or low-pile carpets.
Even if you don’t plan to grow old in your current home, the investments you make in making it friendly to old people will add value to it upon resale. And when your aged or differently-abled acquaintances visit you, they will invariably thank you for the effort!