As people age, there are a whole host of changes that can be necessary in and around a home. While homes are built in a traditional way to accommodate the majority of buyers, the reality is that people’s lifestyles and mobility change over time. As people get older, there are usually greater concerns for mobility in and around a home. This includes changes to their use of stairs and showers. Because mobility can be more difficult, climbing stairs and safely showering in a traditional sense can become more difficult. Because of this, adding accommodations or building new accommodations for staircases and custom showers can be a vital way of allowing people who are older to remain in their home safely. This is vital to enjoying their homes as they reach their later years.
Aging and Disability
While age is not the only factor for concern, it is a primary one. However, there are over 54 million Americans that are considered disabled. While over half of them are beyond retirement age, many of them are not. That means that this younger crowd of people who faces disabilities will also need to look at what options are available to them to accommodate their disabilities in their home. Building a stair lift, shifting a bedroom onto the main floor and building a custom shower are all things that should be considered top priorities for people with mobility issues. This is true no matter what age the person is when they become disabled.
Common disabilities that would require these accommodations include:
• Heart Disease
• Lung Disease
• Impairment to Bones
• Impairment to Muscles
• Nerve Impairments
• Autoimmune Disorders
• Chronic Fatigue Syndromes
• Cancer
• Eye Impairments
• Organ Diseases
• Age Related Mobility Concerns
• Seizure Disorders
In each of these cases, the need to have easy access to a primary bedroom and shower can be essential in the proper care and wellbeing of the person that has the disability. This is also true for the person that is getting older and is not as steady on their feet anymore.
Positive Home Changes
The good news, is there are plenty of wonderful ways to accommodate changes for people in need without spending tens of thousands of dollars or moving to a new home. Installing a stair lift or making alterations to the main floor and the main floor bathroom are usually sufficient enough to allow the person with the mobility concern to be properly accommodated for. One of the first steps in deciding what mobility changes need to be made is consulting with the primary doctor in charge of the person’s disability. They usually can help guide families in the best changes that can be made to a home to make mobility easier.
When it comes to the elderly, one of the greatest risks of injury for the elderly are slips and falls. Because of this, proper accommodations should be made in and around a hope to help prevent this from occurring. Basic home redesigns and hand rail installations can be the best and easiest solutions for overall safety.