Adjusting
our homes as we age is a critical step that many people neglect. If you plan to
stay in your current home until your golden age, adapting your apartment is
crucial. There are so many tips and tricks that could be useful during this
process. To help you with your research,
we have prepared a list of apartment adaptations for seniors that'll make
all the difference.
Form
A Strategy
As
with any other remodeling venture, try to be
as meticulous with planning as possible. There's quite a bit of effort
you'll have to put in. This means that you should strategize both time and
money so that your energy isn't for naught. If you're not too sure where to
start, contact someone who has gone through the process of adapting their
senior apartment. Sometimes even a tiny bit of advice can help get you started
and break that planner's block. You should also hire contractors that are on
the exact same wavelength as you are. Look
for someone flexible, reliable, hardworking, and trustworthy.
Invest
in Quality and Comfort
If there's a piece of advice that you should take away from this article, it's to choose quality and comfort over everything. Appearance shouldn't be your priority, so try to find items and decor ideas that'll contribute aesthetically and practically. There are so many different home improvement approaches nowadays, and you don't have to settle for anything less than what you deserve.
Declutter Your Apartment
Before
you get to the apartment adaptations for seniors, you need to clear any clutter from your home.
Decluttering your home can be quite an emotional moment, and you may want to do
this with your family. Going through your old photos and recalling distant
memories is a great way to say goodbye to a previous chapter and welcome the
new one. Certainly, the first step in
the process will be to remove anything that's not practical, and
that may cause accidents around the apartment. Once you've done this, go
through any clutter that you don't use.
Maintain Your Home Regularly
Aside from decluttering before adapting your apartment for seniors, it would be best if you made cleaning a routine. Once you retire and have newfound free time, it's easy to fall into a time loop. If this happens, it's only natural to let your limited obligations linger. To prevent slipping into a rut and losing time this way, you need to create smaller routines that'll fill up your days. Cleaning is as good of a place to start as any.
Packing Fragile Items For
Storage
Once
you begin to declutter and clean your home, you'll probably need to store some of your belongings. Packing
breakables and glassware before taking them to storage can be a bothersome
process. You need to handle it with
care and make sure that it arrives safely. It's important to research
different methods of packing before you get into it. Use bubble wrap and soft
materials to lessen the blow if anything were to happen during transportation.
Adjust
Everything Toward Your Needs
If
you have a particular age-related struggle, don't ignore it. If it's tough for
you to reach things that are on the top shelves, lower them. There's no point in unnecessarily enduring
and putting up with uncomfortable experiences. Accept that there'll be some
challenging stuff along with all the wonderful things that come with aging.
Aging gracefully is all about making compromises and listening to your body.
Secure
Your Apartment
When
it comes to apartment adaptations for seniors, this may be the most useful one
of all. Considering the safety of your neighborhood, you should think about improving
your apartment security. You can take
some smaller steps to be cautious. Purchase reinforced doors and windows,
and remember to always lock your home, especially at night.
Think ahead
Even though it's impossible to
predict how you'll feel in the future, you can make assumptions. Try to think
ahead and consider what your
needs will be. Meeting these needs earlier than necessary will
spare you the trouble later. If there's a time to splurge and get long-lasting
items, it's right now. Make your list of apartment adaptations for seniors
that'll reflect your personal needs.
Install
New Floors
Seek advice from your contractors
and install floors that will suit your needs. One of the biggest mistakes in senior
apartment adaptations is that people don't take slipperiness as a valid factor
when choosing their floors. However, this isn't the only factor you should be
looking into. If you really want to splurge and get the best deal, install floors that offer shock absorption
in the case of a fall. Having this cushion effect could really make
a big difference.
Stairs
Don't Have To Be Your Enemy
Even though it would be ideal to
have your whole home on one level, that isn't always the case. Luckily, you can adapt an apartment for seniors even if it has a set of stairs. A stairlift is the easiest way for seniors
to get up and down the stairs. You can use an electric stairlift to easily
access any level of your home. Both straight and curved stairwells can be
accommodated by stairlifts. Although stairlifts are most commonly used inside
the house, they can also be used outside. In most cases, they can be
constructed in a single day. They won't damage your walls and can be installed
so that anyone who visits you can normally walk up the stairs.
Cushion
Your Furniture
One of the best home adaptations
for seniors and anyone else, for that matter, is getting extra comfy mattresses and couches. Of
course, if you can get anatomically contoured mattresses and cushions, that
would be ideal. Aim for mattresses that are firm but comfortable. Even though
it's natural to want to gravitate toward a softer mattress, it's actually wiser
to go in the opposite direction.
Brighten
Up Your Senior Apartment
Make sure that your home has
enough light in every room. If it lacks natural light, add as many lighting fixtures as your home
will allow. Another great tip for senior apartment adaptation is to
set up easy access to all your lighting fixtures. This will ensure that you
won't have to get up every time you need a reading light.
Consider A Minimalistic Approach
Even
though minimalism is a modern-day philosophy, it's great for apartment
adaptations for seniors. Don't worry; you don't have to get rid of all things
that have sentimental value, of course. However, making your home simple and
creating an easy-approach environment will make everyday life easier. As with
anything else, you should adjust this
philosophy to your case and make it your own.
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