Grandma or Grandpa Moving In? How to Prepare Your Home for the Elderly

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Knock-knock! Grandma and grandpa have just arrived at the door and guess what? They are moving in. This can be both a positive experience, but also a stressful experience if you are not prepared for their arrival. Since elderly people are more prone to slips and falls, you need to make sure that your home is elderly proofed before grandma and grandpa do arrive. Not sure how to plan for them or proof your home? We will go over some ways to help you prepare your house for the elderly.

  1. Watch the Temperature

Even though you may be warm and sweating in your home, your elderly mother may be freezing. It is important that you are mindful of the temperature, but you do not have to be uncomfortable to make this happen either. The best way to handle this situation is to have a personal thermostat or HVAC controls installed in your elderly parent’s room. This way, they can retreat to their room when your temperature is not ideal for them.

  1. Watch the Stairs

Stairs are not always friendly to elderly adults and if they slip and fall down the stairwell, they may break multiple bones on the way down. You should consider baby proofing by putting up a baby gates to help stop them from wandering throughout the night and accidentally falling.

In addition, install nightlights throughout the hallways in your home to help guide them to where they need to go.

If your home does not have many railing, especially along the staircase or outside along the raised patio, have a railing installed. This way, your elderly guests can hold on to the railing while they move from room to room and place to place.

  1. Keep the Kitchen Easy to Use

While you may not have a hard time reaching the coffee on the top shelf, an elderly person will. Be mindful of where you place items that your guests also need to reach. If you do need to place items on the top shelf, make sure you have an assisted grabber available to reach up and grip the items for your elderly parent.

In addition, you should pay attention to the knobs that are on the cabinets. Larger, handle-like knobs will prove to be easier to use and will not slip out of the hands of your elderly guests.

  1. Add Non-Slip Mats to the Tub

Seniors can easily slip and fall in the bathtub and this can lead to serious injury. You should install non-slip mats in the tub and keep non-slip rugs in the bathroom.

If you plan to have grandma or grandpa move in your home with you, you need to make sure that your home is designed and setup for an elderly person to be comfortable. If your home is not geared for senior citizens, accidents may occur and your parents or grandparents may end up hurt.

If you are unsure of how to better protect your home, simply ask your parent or grandparent how you can make your home safe for them.


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