Have elderly parents or grandparents in your home? Or planning to move with them? If your answer is yes, then it time for you to think through an Elderly / Senior friendly Interior concepts. These Ideas or concepts will help elderly one’s move around each room easily without any having to go through any obstacle or with difficulty.
Well even if you don’t have elders, planning to have an Senior friendly Interior Design from now (for future) is always a plus point. Well here are few Interior Design concept or Ideas that we found for you folks.
Entryways
- Entryways need to be well lit to avoid distractions like digging for keys, picking up parcels, etc. Apart from that entryways shall have a table or a bench or any other surface nearby for putting down things. Entryways need to be well lit to avoid distractions like digging for keys, picking up parcels, etc. Apart from that entryways shall have a table or a bench or any other surface nearby for putting down things.
- Alike Entryway, other areas like staircases, Passage area, a place raised platform, etc. shall be well lit to avoid tripping.
Living Room
- Choose for Anti-skid flooring inside homes. Avoid glossy flooring that reflect light and causes one to fall especially when wet.Choose for Anti-skid flooring inside homes. Avoid glossy flooring that reflect light and causes one to fall especially when wet.
- Have chair and other furniture here with armrest that aid elderly one’s to get up and be seated easily. Alike armrest, backrest too shall be of enough height for comfortable seating.• Keep rooms, especially the traffic lines i.e. walking areas free from any obstacles and raised platforms.
- Install eye-viewers at suitable height on main door. Most essentially have safety doors too.
Bathroom
- Grab Bars are one of the ways to make bathing safer. Add these Grab-Bars by the toilet, near wash basin area, shower area and places where elderly may need support or helping hand.
- Grab Bars are one of the ways to make bathing safer. Add these Grab-Bars by the toilet, near wash basin area, shower area and places where elderly may need support or helping hand.
- Have shower head installed at adjustable height, suitable heights.• Most essentially have a call bell installed in case of emergency. Call bell shall be waterproof button that is in contrasting color.
- Have a fold-able bath seat or shower chair installed so the elderly can bathe comfortably.
- Have non-slip mats or rugs near or outside bathroom-toilet.
Bedroom
- Install 2- way switches near bed so that elderly one’s do not need to cross their room in dark to put on-off the room lights.
- Install 2- way switches near bed so that elderly one’s do not need to cross their room in dark to put on-off the room lights.
- If not that, have a side table lamp with a long cord.• Avoid low-seating beds. Comparatively high beds let’s them get on-off the bed comfortably.
Kitchen
(this is case if senior’s are staying all by themselves)
- Install alarms in case of emergency.
- Install selves at height where they can reach easily. Also store daily items are comfortable heights.
- Have a stool that can be used for times when not cooking on stove.
- For easily discernible items, have distinct color kitchen tools.
- Have trolley to be able to move food and drinks, etc. from one room to other at one go without much hassle.
Over all Safety
- You may tend to ignore this but turning a knob for elderly one can be a task or even painful especially those with arthritis. Replace these doorknobs with lever-style hardware. Levers are a good style for faucets too. •
- You may tend to ignore this but turning a knob for elderly one can be a task or even painful especially those with arthritis. Replace these doorknobs with lever-style hardware. Levers are a good style for faucets too.
- Have larger light switches for easier control of lights.
- This could be a repetition, but make sure there are no trailing wires to prevent trips.
- Have furniture with rounded edges. If not that secure sharp edges with edge covering products available in market.
- Cell phones are quite common these days. Try and provide elderly with large display, big fonts and buttons phones.
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