Making Your Home More Accessible

Making Your Home More Accessible

If you or someone you live with has recently been in an accident or has another condition that has resulted in limited mobility, you might need to think about making some changes to your living space. Even if they are still able to move around independently most of the time, having a home that can suit the occasions when they might need more support is important. If you’re wondering what you can do to make your home more accessible to those with limited mobility, here are a few tips.

Wheelchair Ramps

If you or another member of your household has started to use a wheelchair, the first thing you’ll need to do is to make sure they can get in and out of the property with ease. If steps are leading up to your front or back door, you will need a wheelchair ramp. You can either have a concrete one built and use this to replace the steps, have both if there is room to do so. Alternatively, you can have a removable ramp made, which you can put in place and take away accordingly.

Remodel the Bathroom

Another area of your home that will likely require some modifications is the bathroom. If someone has limited mobility or struggles to support themselves in any way, standing in a shower or getting in and out of the bath will be difficult. If you want to give this individual as much comfort and independence as possible, you might need to get support bars in the shower, near the toilet, lower the toilet, or get a walk-in shower/bathtub. For more guidance, turn to experts who can help craft mobility bathrooms and offer plenty more ideas on what you can do.

Widen Doorways

This is also useful for wheelchair users, but it can also be beneficial for those using crutches or walking frames. Most doorways in homes can be narrow, which makes it difficult to maneuver these devices with ease. To reduce the chance of trips, getting stuck, or losing their balance, making your doorways a little wider will accommodate these needs much better.

Lower Kitchen Counters

As it is essential to make sure anyone with limited mobility can still be as independent as possible, making sure they don’t need to rely on you to do things like make them a cup of tea or prepare meals for them every day is a must. To make your kitchen safer for them to use, lower the kitchen counters so they can reach appliances and use chopping boards, etc., with ease. You might want to get some lighting under your cabinets to illuminate the kitchen counters better as well.

Create a Downstairs Bedroom

This might not be possible for everybody, but if getting up and down the stairs is too difficult or not an option whatsoever, you will need to make a suitable living space on the ground floor, which will include a bedroom and bathroom. You may need to get an extension to do this if you don’t have a spare room on the ground floor that can be converted into a bedroom. If none of this is possible, you might need to get a stairlift or move to a home that is more accessible already.

If you want to make your living space more accessible to those with limited mobility, consider the suggestions above and if they will be suitable for your property.