How to Accommodate Aging Relatives in Your Home

As you get older, your parents and other relatives age as well. For many people, this often means that they become responsible for helping to care for their aging relatives in their own homes. This can be complicated, but it also comes with many benefits if you can find a system that works for you and your family members.

Remodel Your Bathroom

Accessibility is essential if you have aging people in your home. You want to make sure that your bathroom is a safe place for your aging family members to use on their own or with help. Going with a walk-in shower instead of a tub and shower combination can help to make your bathroom safer and more accessible since it doesn’t require stepping over the side of a bathtub to get in. Additionally, you may want to add safety bars and even a shower stool to help make the bathroom even safer. Most accidents in the home tend to happen in the bathroom, so it is important to make it a safe place.

Build an ADU

When your aging relative still needs their independence, it is important that you each have your own space. Having an additional dwelling unit, or ADU, is one way to accomplish this. A mother-in-law suite is usually closed off from the rest of the home. It can be a separate building in your yard, an apartment in your basement, or even a suite above your garage. This allows you to be easily accessible to your aging family members without needing to sacrifice either of your needs for privacy.

Focus on Lighting

Since one of the major problems that elderly people face is a potential fall risk, it is important that you reduce that risk. Having enough light in your home can help with this. You can start with bedside lamps to ensure that your family member doesn’t have to navigate your home in the dark. You can also install night lights and lights in closets to make their life easier. Having enough light will help your family members to be safe in your home.

As you focus on making your home into a safe and accommodating place, you and your family members can grow closer. It’s important to talk to them about what they want and need in their spaces. That way you can build your time together on a strong foundation.

Check out this article on why updating your home is worth the cost!