The American Association for Retired People (AARP) applied a survey in which the results revealed that more than 83% of the senior population would rather stay in their home. Due to the fact that these houses are not longer suitable for them or the health condition they might be afflicted with they look for other possibilities. A suitable possibility is to make small modifications that could mean a lot to your loved one. These modifications can make the elderly person self-sufficient while the caregiver or family members are not there. These changes will adapt to lack of mobility or range as well as limited motion problems.
Having a major modification to a house can be a very expensive and uncomfortable situation, but having small changes done to the house can be as effective yet not as expensive and it will improve your loved one living conditions. Here are some of the changes that can make life easier:
Appliances
- Can the client easily get to the appliances?
- Are control buttons marked and in good working order?
- The temperature of the water, is it comfortable for the client? Is it easily accessed if the client requires to make a change?
- Is the air conditioning system easy to access and working properly ?
- Is the freezer handle at a reachable level?
- Are the appliances likely to overturn?
Lighting
- Is the light in every room adequate?
- Do hallways have automatic night-lights?
- Can light switches be reached easily by the client?
- Are electrical outlets easy to reach?
- Are the outlets safely grounded in order to prevent electric shock?
- Extension Leads running from the outlets may cause a fall, are there any that could constitute a fall hazard for the client?
Other
- If there is an alarm system, is the alarm control panel at a level the client can reach?
- Does every room have installed smoke detectors?
- Does the most-lived-in room have a telephone?
- Does the client know how to operate the remote control of the TV?