Creating a Senior-Friendly Living Space: Practical Tips and Ideas  

Creating a Senior-Friendly Living Space: Practical Tips and Ideas  

When a senior is capable of living at home, making sure he or she is safe in their living space around the clock is a priority. While some seniors are able to live at home with minimal changes to their overall environment, others may need more updates and helpful additions to specific areas, such as the bathroom. Implementing safety features is necessary to avoid and eliminate potentially hazardous conditions seniors may encounter while living at home.

The Importance of a Safe and Accessible Home for Seniors

There are several reasons and benefits for ensuring safety for seniors living at home. Ensuring safety for seniors is providing them with peace of mind knowing that they are in a safe place. A safe environment can help eliminate fear, reduce stress levels, and build confidence in their ability to continue to live at home.

Regardless of how familiar he or she may be in the home, there are hazards to take into consideration. These include:

1. Flooring material that can cause slips, trips, and falls.
2. Inadequate lighting affects their vision, which could lead to tripping or falling.
3. Lack of grab bars and handrails in key areas to provide support while maneuvering in areas of the home.

Incorporating Grab Bars and Handrails in Key Areas

Bathing is a significant part of our daily lives, but for seniors, getting in and out of a traditional bathtub may no longer be possible for some, and for others, it poses a hazard. Along with walk-in showers for seniors to provide safer access to bathing, the installation of grab bars or handrails to assist in entering and exiting the shower helps seniors stay balanced and avoid slipping.

Installing grab bars and handrails throughout the home to assist in a senior’s ability to be mobile is an important addition to safety features. The bars and rails also help seniors be more active by allowing them to move from one room to another knowing they can rely on the handrails for support and maintaining their balance.

Grab bars also serve as a means for reducing fatigue, as the senior can use the bar to rest their weight on while being mobile.

Areas where grab bars are beneficial to seniors include:

• Inside a tub or shower to avoid slips and falls.
• Next to the entryway is the tub or shower.
• Next to any interior or exterior entryway where there is a step, such as the front door, back door, or a door to a patio or garage.
• If the home has a staircase accessible by the senior, installing a grab bar on the wall along the entire length of the staircase adds another level of safety.

Flooring Considerations: Reducing Trip Hazards in the Home

Flooring poses yet another potential safety hazard for seniors. While many seniors traverse the home without assistance, others may have existing mobility problems and may use a walker to navigate from room to room, move around the home using a wheelchair, or they may rely on a cane for support and balance.

Whether seniors are walking on their own or using items to support their mobility, the type of flooring may pose a safety hazard. Things to consider include:

• The flooring material (tile, slate, marble) is slippery, which could result in falling.
• Throw rugs are easy to trip over.
• Throw rugs are easily tangled up or become uneven, making it a hazard for seniors to walk on with or without assistance.
• Carpet thickness may be difficult for seniors using a wheelchair.
• Scatter rugs pose a tripping hazard.

How TubcuT™ Can Help Make Your Home Senior-Friendly

A picture is worth a thousand words and our before and after photos say all that, and more, by providing plenty of information about products we provide to the senior community.

With our tub conversion services, our professional team of specialists converts existing tubs into an environment where seniors can still enjoy their independence with a soothing bath at home in a tub designed for safety.

Contact TubcuT™ to Help Ensure a Senior-Friendly Home

At TubcuT™, our professional team is dedicated to helping seniors maintain their independence and live a quality lifestyle. Contact our team and let’s work together to create a secure and safe senior-friendly environment you can rely on.