Do you have a senior family member moving in to your place? Is it someone who has some form of disability? In either case you should try to have some minor modifications to your place in order to make it more accessible for them.
Making these kinds of changes might be expensive and extensive at the same time, but there are some steps that you can do which would not be so costly.
In order to help you in making those changes to your home, here are some simple steps that you can follow: The Yard- You should start on the exterior of your home, if you want it to be more accessible for older people and those who might have difficulty in moving around.
You should make a path that is level and firm to allow a wheelchair to move easily over it.
You should also make an even gravel path that can support someone walking who's over.
The Entrance- Next is the entrance to your home.
You might want to consider putting up a ramp that would allow someone using a wheelchair to roll over.
You should also make the door wide and to allow for more freedom of movement.
Hallways- The hallways inside your house should also be wide and would allow for more traffic and greater freedom of movement.
There should be no obstacles that would hinder anyone's movement.
Again the doorways should be wide enough to accommodate a wheelchair.
Stairs- While a stair would be a barrier for someone using a wheelchair; it should not be for someone who has just some difficulty in walking.
The horizontal part of the steps should be 11 inches wide with its edges rounded to prevent injury.
There should also be handrails on both sides of the stairs for additional support.
Carpets- While carpets can be ideal, it should not be too thick.
Extra thick carpets might prevent someone using a wheelchair from moving about in a normal way.
Bathroom- Normally, tubs are removed because that can't be used by someone using a wheelchair on their own.
A shower on the other hand is a lot more accessible.
A seat can also be ideal to be put up there.
Flooring- The flooring on the bathroom should be given special attention.
Falls are the number one killer of senior citizens and most of those accidents happen in the bathroom.
There are some tile flooring which are not so slippery and can provide more traction for the foot of anyone who steps on it.
Handrails- Handrails should also be placed around the bathroom.
This would allow a user to move around inside without having to depend on some to assist them.
These are just some of the things that you can do in order to make sure that your home is accessible to someone who is handicapped or a senior citizen.
As you can see all of these steps are very easy to follow that you can all do it without any major cost.