Adapting your loved-one’s home for old age

The longer an elderly person can stay in their own home, the better for their independence and physical and mental well-being.

If your loved-one is getting older and needs more help moving around the house than normal, there are a number of ways you can adapt it to better suit their needs.

Hand rails are usually the best place to start if your elderly relative, neighbour or friend can walk well, but might just need that extra bit of help to balance themselves, or if they get tired and need to stop for a rest.

Placing hand rails either side of the front and back door will make sure they can get in and out much easier. It’s also an idea to install outdoor lights for better visibility too.

Rails can also be placed around baths, showers and toilets to enable elderly people to manoeuvre themselves up and down or in and out.

Other bathroom aids that can be installed for the less able include a shower seat or bath lift or even a special walk in bath.

If your elderly loved-one is finding it increasingly difficult to use the stairs then a good idea might be to invest in a stair lift, which will transport them safely up and down.

Rising and reclining chairs and beds are also another handy adaptation you can make to the home. From a seated/lying position, they will slowly rise up until your loved-one can manoeuvre themselves out of the bed or stand up from a chair and they will recline back down when your loved-one wants to sit/lay down.

If you or your elderly loved-one requires our care services, we will arrange an initial assessment with our friendly team and carers. We will be able to recommend adaptations that can be made to the home and any helpful equipment that might be needed. You may be eligible to get help from your local council and we can discuss this during our meeting.