How to Modify Your Home to Accommodate Sudden Limited Mobility
Most people plan for a long time when they decide to remodel or renovate their home, but if you or a loved one suddenly becomes disabled or mobility impaired, you may be caught off guard. The home that you love and want to continue living in may suddenly pose great challenges to you, and you might not know where to start. Fortunately, there are numerous home modifications and home renovations you can do to make your home more accessible.
When remodeling now, it is important to think about what the future may hold, and incorporate many of these home improvement modifications.
Kitchen modifications are a great place to start for your independent living solutions. The kitchen is often a focal point in a home, where friends and family gather to eat and talk. Some kitchen renovations can include lowering some countertops, increasing floor space, adjusting the height of your appliances, enhancing the lighting and designing rollout and sliding shelves. Kitchen remodeling is a great place to start to add ease to your everyday living now and in the future.
Bathroom remodeling is another important element in your accessible home renovations. Some possible accessible bathroom ideas include installing a walk-in-shower or no threshold shower, adding slip-resistant flooring or a walk-in-tub. You can also have the height of your toilet adjusted and have grab bars added to increase safety. It is also very important to make sure you have a bathroom on the first floor of your home so you do not need to go upstairs to use the facilities.
The location of your master bedroom is another concern if you suddenly become disabled. Having a master bedroom addition on the first floor would be the ultimate option for your accessible home improvement renovations. If there is not space to add in a master bedroom on the first floor, there are other options. You can install a private home elevator or a stair lift into your home, which will accommodate you getting up and down in your home more easily.
Enhanced lighting is another element that is crucial to your accessible home remodeling needs. Having automatic lights outside ensures that you have appropriate lighting at night. You can also enhance the lighting in each room of your home. Adding in more lighting in your kitchen over the areas in which you work can make sure that you are safe while cooking, and adding in lighting to the bathroom can eliminate safety hazards.
In addition to the interior disabled home modifications you may choose to utilize, there are also exterior home renovations that can help you. The location of your garage will become increasingly important, so you can get in and out of your home more safely. If you do not have a garage, you should try to move a parking area as close to the front of your house as possible. You may need to have a ramp added to the front of your home, in case you need to have wheelchair accessibility. Done correctly, a ramp can be architecturally pleasing, and look like it was part of the original home design.