9 renovation considerations to make when living with the elderly

With aging population coming into the spotlight in recent years, there is an increasing need to make provisions for homes to be elderly-friendly. Renovations can make a home look fancy; but unfortunately, some ritzy design elements are a nightmare for seniors. Polished marble flooring may look elegant, but wait till you mop it; it’s practically an ice-skating rink, to a senior with balance issues. Consider these small features, that make life easier for the elderly at home:

1. Upgrade the LUX levels

Senior citizens generally need lighting that’s three times stronger, to read printed material, cook, sew, and so forth. Trouble is, most interior design today uses uplights: the light is thrown up to the ceiling and reflected down (hence those upside-down lampshades); uplights are soft and warm, but usually too dim.

You need to ramp up the LUX levels, which the contractor or sales people in the lighting shop can explain. The higher the LUX level, the brighter the light.

If you have elderly residents at home, upgrade the LUX level to 500 in the following rooms:

• Living room
• Kitchen
• Bathroom
• Study room
• Dining room

For other rooms, maintain a minimum LUX level of 300.

(Include a dimmer switch, if you find it too bright for your fresh, young eyes).

2. Use sliding doors wherever possible

Sliding doors are easier for the elderly, and have the plus point of making your house look like a damn spaceship, if you do it right. Go for the push button ones, where the door slides open without needing to be pulled.

Sliding doors are especially helpful for elders who need walkers or wheelchairs. Regular doors require “swing space”, where they swing outward; if you’re on a walker or wheelchair, you need orang-utan length arms to reach out and open these (without it hitting your walker/chair).

3. Use heavier carpeting

Carpeting provides grip, and makes it harder to slip and fall. It’s also softer if you do fall on it, and heavy carpeting muffles noise. There won’t be that annoying tapping noise, that you get when walking on stone or hard wood.

As a downside, you will have to vacuum everyday. But we’re pretty sure vacuuming is easier than having to bring your parent to the emergency room, if they fall on a marble floor.

4. Have two switches for the main lights

This isn’t just helpful for the elderly; it ensures you won’t rip a toenail on a chair leg, when getting up to use the bathroom at night.

Have the electrician install two switches for main lights. In the bedroom, have one light switch near the door, and one near the bed. In the living room, have it near the entrance, as well as the part that leads toward the corridor or other bedrooms.

The idea is that your elderly resident won’t have to grope in the dark, while looking for the main light switch.

5. Use mid-height, floating shelves

Floating shelves are just open shelves drilled to the wall, rather than being inside a cupboard or cabinet. Have the designer incorporate some of these at mid-height, where the elderly resident can easily reach them (even from a wheelchair).

Having items on open shelves also makes them easier to locate – it’s harder to misplace the blood pressure pills, the reading glasses are, etc. Just make sure that only light items are stored, so that falling objects aren’t too damaging.

6. Install at least one chair-height toilet

Chair-height toilets are 17 to 19 inches high, and to be frank, they’re not comfortable for everyone; especially to children who go on their own. They’re good for the elderly though.

Because chair-height toilets are higher off the ground, they reduce the strain on knees and legs when getting up. The difference is small if you’re a healthy young adult, but it makes a huge difference to seniors.

Consider having just one in the house, along with safety grab bars, for your elderly resident.

7. Install anti-scald devices

Some water heaters are so efficient, they turn your shower heads into napalm flamethrowers. Five minutes into your shower, a sudden blast of hot water melts your face right off your skull.

While you can stumble out in agony, your elderly parents (or children) may not have the same reflexes. So tell the contractor to install anti-scald devices, that will cut off the flow of hot water once it hits a certain temperature. A couple of dollars could make the difference between your elderly in-law cursing in the bathroom, and cursing in the A&E ward.

8. Keep the ground level

Ditch the raised platforms, slopes, and uneven stone flooring. These increase the odds of falling, and make it hard to get around in wheelchairs or walkers. You also need to consider visual acuity – for elder with weaker eyesight, dips in the floor can be hard to see.

If you have stairs, make sure the guard raise are accessible (not too high up), and provide good grip.

9. Minimise the use of partitions

Besides letting in more light, removing partitions creates open space. That helps with mobility, as the elderly need more space to turn and walk. It also means stuff like your furniture is more spaced out – in the event a fall does happen, your elderly resident is less likely to fall onto a table or chair edge.

If you found this article useful, we recommend undergoing the HIP programme and maximising the aesthetic appeal of HDB bomb shelters.

Find the home of your dreams at Singapore’s largest property portal 99.co today!