It’s a lovely gesture to have other family members move into your home, especially elderly relatives. Homeworkers will generally do this when they believe such a relative could do with extra support. It might be because they’re experiencing health issues or limited mobility, and require somewhere a little more customized to those needs. It could also be that an elderly relative has lost their partner, perhaps your parent or grandparent, and to prevent them feeling alone in an empty house you’ve invited them to come stay with you.
No matter the reason, it’s fair to say that while your house isn’t a house of dangers and dysfunction, it might not be perfect for elderly needs. Even if you plan to give them a small wing of your house with their own en-suite, bedroom and kitchenette area, it’s wise to make sure this is correctly prepared. They’re not liable to stay in that space all the time of course, which is why taking a wider view to the rest of your household is also important.
It may take some investment and time, but of course, the health of a loved one is priceless. Let’s consider how to achieve this outcome with care:
Consider Doorways & Access Routes
We suggest you make a real effort to evaluate the main doorways and pathways throughout your home. That might sound strange, because surely you haven’t designed doors and hallways to be obstructive? Well, elderly people often have different needs. For instance, making sure there is enough clearance for a walker, or moving a piece of furniture or a large potted plant that might be in the way can be helpful.
This also includes the stairs of course, where a stairlift might be necessary. However, perhaps changing their occupation of the home to be ground floor only, and moving the spare room upstairs instead could be wiser.
Provide Accessibility Measures & Emergency Systems
It’s important to think about adding accessibility features that will make daily life easier and safer for your loved one, suc has grab bars in the bathroom and maybe a walk-in shower, which are both good places to start. You can also look into installing a medical alert system or an emergency button so that your relative can call for help if they need it, because if they’re in another small wing of the house or an outbuilding, you may not be able to hear them. Also work with other services like having an alarm pulley in the bathroom, so if they suffer a fall they can ask for medical help even if you’re at your place of employment.
Consider Orthopaedic Furniture
Your loved one deserves comfort too, and so special pieces of furniture that can provide it if you look for orthopaedic chairs and mattresses to help with joint pain and improve overall support. It’s also worth looking into things like lift chairs that can assist a person in standing up or shower seats so they can wash with independence. They’ll feel so much more confident if they don’t have to rely on you for all of this. Some of these chairs could even be used out on your back patios if you want to give them some fresh air, just makes sure the ground is stable and refit it if necessary.
With this advice, your loved one is sure to love their time living with you.
Because we live in a world where money is needed to survive, Latte Lindsay runs a number of affiliate programmes and offers contributed or partnered content. If you choose to click the links and read the posts, the site may earn a commission or receive a payment. All of the opinions are my own. Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any partner brands/company(s), beauty & lifestyle brands, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities unless specified.