For many families, it’s common to have several generations live together in one home. In fact, one out of every four caregivers who looks after an older or disabled relative also lives with them[1]. This can be helpful for each generation in the home, as elderly parents are close by to offer help with the family when needed, and the family can also provide care for them as they age. However, it’s essential to ensure your home is safe and welcoming for your older relatives. So, how can you best prepare your home and your family for your their safety and comfort? Here we look at some of the vital steps to take before your elderly parents move in.
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Ensure Your Home Is Elder-Friendly
One of the most important aspects of preparing for an elderly parent to move in is ensuring your home is safe for them, and that they will be able to move about with ease. The level to which the accessibility and safety of your home may need to be adjusted will depend on the level of mobility and function your parents have. Slips and falls can be particularly dangerous for elders, and can result in lasting health problems depending on the severity. However, falls can be prevented by properly preparing your home and making sure that adequate safety measures are in place.
A few of these things include:
- Adding non-slip mats to your showers and bathtubs
- Installing railings or hand-holds along your stairs and in bathrooms
- Rearranging furniture to allow adequate room for moving around with mobility aids like canes, walkers, or wheelchairs
Enlisting the help of a professional aging-in-place contractor may be needed to help point out more detailed areas of improvement. Similarly, an experienced design build contractor can conduct an inspection on your home to identify problem areas, and help you prioritize areas of improvement and safety needs.
Prepare for An Aging-in-Place Progression
Having your elderly parents move into your home isn’t just about preparing the home for them now; it’s about looking to the future as well. Remodeling a home for aging-in-place is all about making an existing home more accommodating for an elder’s needs – both now and as they age. These remodels will involve adjustments to your space to make it safer and more accessible by adding better lighting, smoother and safer walking surfaces, grab bars, accessible showers, and stair railings and ramps. Your professional design build remodel contractor can help to analyze the space you have now and look for areas of improvement, and then suggest modifications that fit your family’s needs and investment range. Knowing the types of remodeling needed to prepare your home depends on a discussion with your family and your elderly parent, as well as a professional analysis with an experienced design build contractor.
Consider The Whole Family
As you are preparing your home for your elderly parents or relatives to move in, it’s important to talk about the expectations and needs of both your family and your elderly parent. Ensuring your home has enough space so that everyone feels comfortable is essential, as overcrowding in your home can be unsafe for your elderly parent and draining for your family. Room additions can be helpful in making sure that there’s enough space for your whole family while still keeping everyone in the same house. Likewise, bathroom remodels and kitchen remodels can help redesign your existing space to better accommodate a greater number of people while also accounting for the unique needs of your elderly parent.
Preparing your home to have an elderly parent move in should be a careful and considered process to ensure you have the correct home design for aging-in-place. Request a consultation with Gordon Reese Design Build to find out what changes your home needs to help keep your multi-generational family safe, secure, and comfortable.
[1] https://www.caring.com/articles/moving-in-aging-relative-or-parent
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