How to make your home more accessible
There are many reasons you might need to make your home more accessible. You, your partner or another person living in your home might have recently become disabled, or you might have invited an elderly relative to live with you. Whatever the reason, you may need to adapt your home to become more accessible. Sound expensive? You might be able to pay for this using Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and you can work out how much you’re entitled to by using an SSI disability calculator. Whilst changing your home might seem like an overwhelming task, you may only need to adjust a few areas. So, what might they be, and how can you make your home more accessible?
Widening doorframes
If you or your partner now uses a wheelchair, scooter or other mobility device to move around, you may need to consider widening or opening doorframes so they can get through easily. Allowing them to get around the house with as much simplicity as possible is important to making their way of life straight forward and helping them to adapt to their disability.
Lowering appliances
Likewise, if you or your partner is now permanently in a wheelchair, you may need to lower any appliances in your home such as light-switches, counters or sinks. This will allow them to reach the appliances with as much ease as they could before. It’s important for someone to not feel restricted by their new disability, and the person may feel frustrated or low if they can’t use their house in the way they used to. Therefore, by making sure they can cook, wash their hands and turn the lights on and off as they did before will make the transition much easier.
Fitting a stair lift
Stair lifts are very common in houses for people with reduced mobility. If you’re moving an elderly relative into your house which has several stories, a stair lift may be useful for them to get around. Likewise, if you or your partner has recently become disabled and unable to walk, a stair lift might be essential. Whilst it might seem like a big change to install a stair lift, there are many different types that you can choose from. Make sure you do your research and get one that’s sturdy, reliable and within budget.
Swapping rooms
The key to making your house accessible is being flexible. This might mean moving some people around and swapping bedrooms. For example, if your elderly relative needs to go to the bathroom regularly, it might make sense to give them a bedroom that’s near the toilet – this will help them and any light sleepers in the house. Likewise, if the person with a disability struggles on the stairs, it might be sensible to give them a room downstairs instead, which might involve turning the living-room into a bedroom and doing some general re-jigging of the layout of your home. It might seem like a big change, but the benefits outweigh the risks.