Are you a family caregiver to a senior dealing with mobility issues? If yes, organize your home and make things less challenging for you. Remember, seniors with mobility issues can suffer falls and trips easily. Also, as aging will progress, your loved one will find it more difficult to maintain his or her balance while walking or climbing the stairs. So, here are some home organization tips for you to address the current needs of your loved one and laying the groundwork for future needs.
Widen the narrow doorway
Chances are that your home has a narrow doorway. Widen it even if the senior is not using a wheelchair. In case this is not feasible, replace the hinges of your door with swing clear hinges. It will add a few inches of space that can prove valuable to the senior.
Rearrange your furniture
The concept is simple but yet effective for helping the senior to maneuver around the home easily. Rearranging your furniture means unobstructed pathways which will help them in using a wheelchair, cane or walker (if needed). Also, take care of the dangling wires and slippery rugs.
Make things easily accessible
It is not always possible to ensure a physical presence at home for caregiving. So, make sure that things are easily accessible to the senior. He should not have to climb on a step tool to access anything of frequent use such as toothpaste, comb, clothes, pill organizer, electrical outlets, and so on. If easy accessibility is not ensured, there can be a grave danger of falling and subsequent injury.
Remodel the bathroom
Start with easy and inexpensive modifications such as installing anti-skid flooring or adding a shower chair to more complex changes like installation of the grab bar and walk-in bathtub. You can also consider raising the height of your toilet seat to make things more convenient for the senior.
Provide support during bedtime
It can be challenging for a senior with mobility issues to get in and out of the bed. So, think of installing grab bars next to the bed. Installing bed rails reduces the risk of falling from the bed. Also, reduce the bed height if it seems uncomfortable to the senior. A little expensive tip will be to opt for an adjustable bed.
There are countless things that you can do to organize your home to make it safer for a senior with mobility issues. Some of these are labeling storage boxes for easy identification, adding lights in dark areas, storing least used items at a greater height than those that are used frequently, and much more. The more you make navigation easier for him or her, the less time you have to spend in providing physical assistance. So, don’t forget to implement the tips. Also, try to follow the caregiver guide to help aging adults with mobility issues.