As you get older, it is important to start thinking about where you’ll spend your retirement. While some people opt for a retirement community, many would prefer to stay in their own homes (or “age in place”).
Choosing to spend your retirement in your own home has many benefits. For starters, it can be cheaper than moving into a retirement community, is often more comfortable, and lets you stay active with your established social network.
However, the reality is that as we age, the chances of falling or having an accident are higher. It is estimated that there are nearly 36 million falls amongst the elderly each year, resulting in over 30,000 deaths. Knowing how prevalent falls are as we age, living in your home can present challenges. If you are considering spending your retirement at home, here are five ways to make your home easier to live in as you age.
1. Add Handrails in Hallways and Bathrooms
Six out of ten falls happen at home, where we spend most of our time. One of the most common causes of falls is losing your balance. While there are many precautions you can take to prevent falls in your home, an easy fix is to install handrails in the areas where the most falls happen: the stairs, the hallway, and the bathroom.
Adding a second handrail on the opposite side of the stairs can give additional support and help you keep your balance moving from one floor to the next. Likewise, installing a handrail on both sides of the hall gives you a place to lean and support yourself if you should get weak or lose your balance moving between rooms.
Another crucial place to add handrails is the bathroom near the toilet and in the shower. As we age and our joints stiffen, making getting upright after sitting on the toilet difficult. Likewise, the wet surface of the tub or shower can be slippery. Having available handrails can help you pull yourself upright and help you catch yourself from falling.
2. Replace Your Flooring
Another area of the home that can help prevent falls is your flooring. It is estimated that nearly 38,000 elderly adults are treated for falls caused by rugs or carpets each year. To prevent this, the flooring in your home needs to be more predictable.
Start by removing any area rugs that could slip and tacking down any carpets or rugs that may bunch with shuffling feet. If you have areas that have slippery tiles, consider adding non-slip tape along the main paths of traffic.
If you’re up for a bigger project, you may consider changing your wall-to-wall carpets. When changing this carpet, choose a high pile carpet with a thick carpet pad (that is suitable for your selected carpet). Having a thick carpet will help minimize injury in the case of any falls.
3. Remodel The Bathroom
Bathroom falls are some of the most dangerous situations. It is estimated that one-third of elderly falls in the bathroom results in bone fractures, with adults 85 or older often requiring hospitalization. This is mainly due to the inherent slipperiness that comes from the combination of tile and water.
Some of the most straightforward fixes can be adding non-slip mats in the shower/tub and other floors in the bathroom. However, as you age, you may find it increasingly difficult to step over the tub’s edge. Dealing with this requires a different type of solution.
One option is installing a seat in the tub and a hand shower, helping minimize fatigue while showering and helping with stability. Another option, albeit more intensive, is to replace the tub with a walk-in tub that has a door that opens to allow you to step directly into the tub. You could also remove the tub altogether to replace it with a shower with zero-clearance shower doors, essentially removing tripping hazards.
4. Use Smart Home Devices
While dealing with technology can be tricky as we age, recent developments make it even easier for us to age at home. Once limited to the clap on/off switch, smart devices can now help us do so much more.
You can control nearly every device from a cell phone, tablet, or voice operation with a smart plug. Just by using one’s voice, you can turn the lights on and off, adjust the television volume, and so forth.
Another benefit of using smart home devices like Amazon’s Alexa or Google Home is that you can use them to remind you about appointments, medicines, activities, etc. Something that can be pretty handy as we tend to get more forgetful with age.
5. Install Ramps
Aging joints make getting around tricky. So it’s no surprise that nearly 9 million people, 65 or older, require an assistive device (wheelchair, cane, walker, etc.). The problem is that most existing homes don’t accommodate these devices.
If you want to age at home, you’re going to need to make some modifications to make getting into your home easier. The best way to do this is to install ramps where possible can make your home more accessible.
Most commonly these ramps are installed at the front or side door. However, if you have a multi-level home, you may still have some accessibility issues. In this case, consider installing a stairlift that you can ride up and down the stairs, eliminating the risk of falling.
Retiring in Your Own Home
The choice is yours when it comes to retirement, whether you stay in your own home, move to a retirement community, or shift to an assisted living facility. If you plan to stay in your own home, you need to be prepared for the modifications needed to keep you safe and healthy throughout your retirement. These expenses should be included in your retirement planning so that staying at home is feasible.