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Safety From page 1
Every day in the United States, 10,000 more people reach their 65th birthday. Equipping your home with tools to make it easier to live in as you age, or helping a friend or relative adapt their home, is going to become a necessity. There is an easy way to do this: think about each room in your house and make a list of "aging-in-place amenities" that you can install. The Front Door/Foyer The first thing to think about in terms of making a house more accessible is just that: how accessible is your house? Is the front entrance at the top of a set of stairs? Is there an entrance between the garage and the house? Is there a side or back entrance that is more easily accessible than the front one? It is not always cost-effective to install a feature like a ramp before you need one. But you can make sure that staircases are free of stumbling hazards and any banisters currently in place are sturdy. Although carpets and other non-slip mats can be tripping hazards, you might want to consider having some in place as needed on porches that can get icy and on garage floors that can get wet. Within an entrance, foyer, or mudroom, make sure there are no pieces of furniture protruding into walking paths. Have a place to set wet or dirty footwear so that it is out of the way. Clean out closets so they are not difficult to open or so full that it is difficult to find outerwear that you use regularly. Somewhere within the house, in a location that you can use so
Winter 2022 consistently that it becomes a habit, dedicate an area to hold anything you need when going out. A small basket on a hallway table or entryway bench can hold keys, masks, a cell phone, and even gloves and a hat during cold-weather seasons. The Living Room When making age-in-place adjustments to a house, the process often seems to be about adding safety tools. In the living room, however, the biggest adjustments to be made are often ones of minimizing. Adapting your house to your needs as you age doesn't mean you have to make it a sterile, unfamiliar environment. On the contrary, you are trying to make your house more comfy and livable. In the living room, make sure you have enough room to leave wide and unobstructed walkways. Arrange your furniture so that it is useful to you, even if those arrangements aren't conventional. What chair do you sit in most? Put it in front of the television or right next to your computer table or end table. Making a house easier to live in also means making it easier to clean. Although you'll want to keep any items that spark joy, you may want to consider gifting or otherwise removing some of your knickknacks, books, or even pictures. Keep any end tables near your favorite places to sit clear so they can hold just the necessities, like a tissue box, a place for a drink, your remote controls, or a phone.
The Kitchen If you face mobility or eyesight challenges, the kitchen will probably be the place where you need to make the most changes. Again, you do not need to approach the kitchen with major changes like lowering countertops or changing light fittings in mind. Those changes can be made later, if necessary. What you should consider is downsizing; do an extensive cabinet and drawer cleanout and keep only the utensils and appliances that you use regularly. If you haven't made waffles with your waffle iron for years, the chances are fairly good you may not need the waffle iron. Organize cabinets so that the foods and spices you use most often are at the very front of the shelves and are easy to see. Print up ready-made grocery lists that you can simply scan every week as reminders for what you might need. Invest in measuring cups and spoons with large and easy-to-read numerals. Make sure any carpets or mats that you use in the kitchen have good quality non-slip backings. Use them only where necessary; rugs can be a tripping hazard. Make sure all the lights you have in the kitchen are working, and add under-cabinet or other portable touch-lights wherever necessary. Keep a magnifying lamp nearby to help you read recipes. There are also great automatic shut-off devices available for many kitchen appliances. Always address any maintenance issues immediately. Be on the watch for leaks from your sink, dishwasher, or refrigerator, and ask for assistance when making sure there are new batteries in any smoke detectors every spring and autumn.
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