As we age, what we look for in our living space is comfort and peace. After working hard the entire life, one wishes to live comfortably in the house with all the luxuries and trends in place. Planning ahead of time is always beneficial. Ageing in place has become a top trend now and more awareness seems to be arising as we move to a newer era with time.
In case you have had a certain type of interior design for years or have altered it over the years, in your older age you need to consult a home improvement professional and discuss your priorities in design.
What is important is that when you consult a professional, you need to make sure is has the knowledge, expertise and home remodel ideas needed to make your space comfortable, safe, and accessible so one as a senior can manage on their own.
In order to direct home designers as to what a senior may need in the house, here is a checklist to look at for home remodel ideas.
- Design in General
Before getting into the details and technicalities of design, there is a generic guideline for designing a safe and accessible space. A few options that can be looked into are:
- Open floor plan and fewer obstructions
- New lighting
- Particular choice of colors
- Wide doorways
- Ramps for disabled
- Design of Bathroom
When you consult a home improvement professional, make sure to discuss your needs with him. Bathrooms are the most used yet the trickiest spaces as well due to their ceramic floors. With the elderly, you need to be very careful as bathrooms can be very slippery and cause accidents.
Following is a list of things you need to keep in mind when you go for remodeling and design professional:
- A seat extender or toilet height compatible with people in the house
- Installation of bars near toilet and shower to grab onto and support themselves
- Anti-slip coating
- Walk-in shower
- Design of Kitchen
When you decide to remodel and design, especially for the elderly, you need to keep in mind how smoothly they can maneuver around their space. Kitchens are the most complicated areas and need to be self-sufficient and operational.
Do not install cabinets that are out of reach of the client and make sure he does not have to move around a lot.
Following are a few things we need to keep in mind while remodeling the kitchen:
- Adjusted height of the sink
- Shallow sink
- Hands-free faucets
- Accessible pull-out pantry
- Storage space within the refrigerator
- Lighting in and under cabinets
- Rounded countertops
- Larger drawers
- Microwave at an equal height to the counter
- Sink and stove in close proximity
- Designing of Bedroom and Closet
In old age, moving around a lot is not a very safe or comfortable option. Therefore, it is convenient if getting out of bed and getting dressed is not much of a hassle.
Home improvement professionals need to consider the following factors for ageing in place:
- The main bedroom on the ground floor
- Lower bed and mattress
- Side tables at the same height as the bed
- Bed rail
- Necessary clearance area around the bed
- Lighting in closet
- Pull-down rods in closet
- Designing of Laundry Room
Laundry is a chore that needs to be done at all costs and it is time-taking nevertheless. The house needs to have proper accommodation for laundry and needs to be designed accordingly.
No home remodel is complete without a proper laundry area. For people with certain disabilities, their impairments need to be taken into account.
The following can be done to make it easier for ageing people:
- Laundry room near the bedroom
- Front-load washer/dryer
- Easy to manage and read controls
- Low cabinets
- Pull-down shelves
A few more tips that can be kept in mind are:
- Easy maintenance plants
- Long-lasting LEDs
- Clear and broad enough pathways within the house
- Chair lifts on stairs if needed
It is very important to remodel the house according to the needs of the elderly once they are nearing their retirement age. In case it is for you or anyone you know, these tips will definitely help you design a house according to the needs of the ageing people.
Contact now for new designs.
