Tips to Make Your Home Senior-Friendly

Aging is a part of life; as we age our needs and priorities change. Creating an age-friendly home can reduce your chance for injury and increase your comfort. If you are considering remodeling your home to make it more comfortable for yourself or an aging family member, keep in mind the following safety considerations:

• In a multi-story home, are all the bedrooms and full bathrooms located upstairs?
• Is there an easy-access shower and tub?
• Are cupboards and countertops accessible and at the right height?

 

1. Remove any entryway steps, replace with a ramp or grading of the walkway.

 

2. Have clear pathways, approximately 36” wide.

 

3. Make sure doors are at least 36” wide with a ½” threshold.

 

4. Install lever style handles that require no more than 5 lbs. of pressure to open on all doors.

 

5. Living areas and outside walkways should be well lit. Consider installing non-glare skylights in addition to more lighting fixtures.

 

6. Use commercial grade non-slip flooring.

 

7. Purchase a front load washer and dryer and elevate 9” from the finished floor.

 

8. Use large area rugs with anti-slip grip on the bottom. Avoid using small area rugs or throw rugs.

 

9. Replace traditional carbon monoxide and smoke detectors with talking alarms systems for the hearing impaired.

 

10. Install handrails in the bathroom shower and near toilets.

 

11. Install security doors or modified doors with large peep holes.

 

12. Install illuminated, rocker style light switches.

 

13. Install easy-to-read thermostats with large print and an illuminated backlight.

 

14. Consider purchasing an iron that turns itself off if it is not active after 10 minutes.

 

15. Mount electrical wall outlets at 12” to 16” height from finished floor to center of outlet.