5 Ways to Adapt Your Home for Later Life

While it’s important to live in the moment and enjoy your home in its current state, it is never too soon to start thinking about the future. The truth is that most people will need some form of adaptation to their home sooner or later, so it’s always worth looking at small changes you can make today to help yourself in the future. Here are five ways you can adapt your home for later life.

One thing that we did many years ago was a loft conversion, and although you might be thinking that’s not great for accessibility? You’re right! However when you think about other people living with you from future kids, to family, to guests, or maybe even live in carers, having another bedroom is a great option. Here’s some more:

Make your plugs easily accessible

Something that many people take for granted is how easy it is to flick a light switch or a plug on and off. However, there can be a tendency to hide plug switches away, such as behind cabinets or under tables, and similarly, light switches are too high to reach if you are sitting down. While you might be able to crawl under a table to switch something on today, that doesn’t mean that it will always be practical, which is why it is important to make your switches accessible – not only is it easier, it is the safer option overall.

Bathroom renovations

Big home renovations are inevitable throughout the lifetime of your house, but thinking about the way you adapt your home could be helpful to you at a later date. Incorporate accessible bathroom equipment in your new bathroom to save money and time down the line, such as sturdy railings and a walk-in shower. Age Co Mobility advises that because bathrooms tend to be somewhere that bodies get wet and slippery, they can be very dangerous if you aren’t steady on your feet, which is why an accessible bathroom is one of the most important elements of an adapted home.

Avoid too much clutter

You might not think about the impact of having narrow corridors and doorways now, but even the placement of your furniture can be detrimental to the movement of somebody who uses a wheelchair. For this reason, it’s important to space your furniture out correctly, making sure that you would have room to turn around to get in and out of doors comfortably. There are many reasons that a person could start using a wheelchair, and it can be at any time of your life, so being prepared now saves you time and stress further down the line. 

Use ramps instead of steps

If you are somebody who has concrete steps outside your house, it might be time to look at getting that changed into a ramp to adapt your home. Not only is it safer overall to have a ramp than to have steps, but it is an investment for your future, and your friends with low or no mobility will thank you for it now. While it might seem like a big overall at the front of your home, it is one that is better to get done now. 

Make use of smart technology

The world is becoming more and more digital, and the impact that this has made on disabled people cannot be expressed. Utilising smart technology can mean something as small as setting alarms to remind you to take medication, to being able to open doors at the push of a button; it gives the user more independence, which contributes to overall self-esteem and makes life a lot less stressful. 

Even small changes like swapping doorknobs for an easy to open handle, or ensuring that light cords are reachable can make all the difference.

Do you plan on making any changes to your home to make it more accessible? Share your ideas in the comments.

Georgie

Georgie – twenty something content creator based in Yorkshire, writing about all things pretty in life