Respecting those who walked before us helps us walk stronger into our future. Yes, our parents, grandparents, and in-laws are our living libraries. They help us to mould our tomorrows by mending our skills. However, they eventually tend to become dependent on us, facing difficulties in their living space.
Therefore, you need to renovate or remodel your house to suit their daily needs. Read today’s blog to understand more about aging in place and retirement homes.
Understanding the Needs of Seniors
When our seniors start to age, they will require more physical and emotional support. Their house is the place where they search for comfort. After a certain age, seniors will start to experience mobility-related difficulties. It will be stressful to walk or move around.
Along with the changing trends, they will feel lost in their home. They can face problems managing their daily activities independently. For a person who has lived his maximum lifespan independently and with dignity, it’s very difficult to explain his problem and ask for help. As a responsible child or caregiver, it’s important to create a comfortable and supportive living space for elders. Understanding their needs and making suitable home modifications can help them age in place with dignity and ease.
Key Design Principles for Senior-Friendly Homes
While designing a senior living space, you need to consider the following principles:
Safety First
You need to prioritise seniors’ safety during the house’s construction or renovation. Elders with tremors or shaking problems have a high tendency to skid easily on slippery floors. Consider adding non-slip flooring to considerably reduce the risk of falls and injury. For mobility problems, you can install grab bars with handrails in areas such as bathrooms and stairways. You must always maintain a safe environment to avoid tripping hazards like rugs and uneven surfaces.
Accessibility
You need to follow the principle of building inclusive homes for all to enable everyone to navigate easily. By widening the doorways and corridors, you can allow seniors to use wheelchairs without strain. If your house has multiple floors, you can install stair lifts or other suitable types of lifts.
Comfort and Convenience
Try to include ergonomic furniture and adjustable fixtures for better comfort. Make sure the furniture is free from sharp edges. You can use corner protectors made of soft materials like foam, plastic, or rubber. Always install light switches and storage shelves that are reachable for seniors to maintain their independence.
Lighting and Ventilation
Natural light and proper airflow are essential to maintaining a healthy environment. With adequate lighting, elders can move easily. To improve a senior’s respiratory function, you need to plan for enhancing indoor air quality with natural ventilation or an HVAC system.
Room-by-Room Design Tips for Elders
You need to design your house interior to suit seniors. Each single room asks for distinct features to become convenient. You can follow the following interior design room-by-room:
Living Room
You can create a living room with creative ideas. You can include OTS for gardening and relaxation. It can enhance natural light and ventilation. Always include comfortable seating with proper back support, such as chairs and sofas. The clear pathways should be free of obstruction for easy movement, preventing the risk of falls. Always arrange furniture to create open spaces to enhance accessibility.
Bedroom
While designing the bedroom for seniors, make sure to keep the bed at a comfortable height. The bed and seating in this space should be strategically placed to enable easy sitting down and getting up. For extra care, you can include an emergency call system or intercom for quick communication. This will allow them to ask for help immediately. As a caregiver, you should be more careful about the interior elements used for the bedroom decor. You can include old photos to improve the room’s look. Always use natural pastel shades on the bedroom walls. Green and blue work well for bedrooms. As per Vastu Shastra, place elders’ bedrooms in the Southwest corner for stability and strength; if it’s not possible, locate them in the South or East directions, avoiding the Northeast.
Bathroom
As a caregiver, you need to take extra care in the bathroom setting. You must install grab bars for safety. If possible, you can include special walk-in showers, reducing the risk of slips or falls. Always use anti-slip tiles. For the comfort of seniors, include comfort height toilets, easing the process of sitting and standing, reducing strain on joints. You can also include smart toilets to maintain hygiene.
Kitchen
Elders, such as a grandmother or mother, often love spending time in their favourite cooking spot. To keep their joy, you should cautiously design the kitchen to improve accessibility and safety. Lower countertop heights by about 28 to 30 inches will make seniors more reachable. Include easy-to-use appliances to simplify cooking tasks. To enhance the accessibility of kitchen items, use pull-out shelves and soft-close cabinets. Seniors like to cook independently, prioritising their taste, allowing the kitchen to support their personal interests. You can make judicious use of red and yellow in the dining room to help stimulate the appetites of elders.
Incorporating Technology for Senior Living
If your elders get very weak or have serious health issues, you need to be by their side or need to hire a caregiver. For more convenience, you can include technology in senior living spaces, improving the overall quality of life.
Smart Home Devices
Bedridden elders can favour home automation, such as voice-controlled lights and automated doors. This will help them to feel privacy and independence without strain. You can guide them with easy steps to use them more easily and safely.
Health Monitoring Systems and Emergency Alert Devices
When you are taking care of your favourite elder instead of hospitals or external senior living, you need to include health monitoring systems. Emergency alert devices help them to call you during their emergency.
Remote-controlled Appliances
If you wish to add, you can include smart home products like smart thermostats and kitchen devices. These devices help them manage tasks without moving around too much, giving them more comfort and independence. As technology improves, these tools will make homes for seniors even safer and more convenient.
Cultural and Emotional Considerations
Your retirement homes should enhance the quality of living, promoting family interaction. You can follow the following suggestions:
Emphasis on Family Interaction
Choose open floor plans to encourage family interaction. Open living spaces that combine the kitchen, dining, and living areas bring the whole family together, including grandparents and children. This setup encourages bonding through shared meals and entertainment.
Incorporation of Traditional Design Elements
After regular updates to the house, elders may suffer from nostalgia. Nostalgia is the emotion of longing for a period in the past. Therefore, keep old items or things that your elders connected to them emotionally. To decorate your house interior, use familiar Indian motifs and materials. You can include rangoli or kola designs on wall borders with paint. Use religious holy symbols in their bedroom to make them feel safe and emotionally connected.
Creating a Peaceful Environment
You need to create a more peaceful home environment for elders. Always use neutral shades or pastel shades. Include indoor air-purifying plants or add a home garden with a lawn. You can make time to play indoor traditional games like Choukabar (Chaupar), Chaturanga (Chess), Moksha Patam (Snakes and Ladders), and Alugulimane (abstract strategy board game) to enhance the elder’s concentration with family.
Cost-Effective Alternatives for Home Modifications for Elders
Not everyone can able to renovate or reconstruct their house easily. But you can use the following budget-friendly tips:
Simple modifications such as
- Decluttering and properly placing rugs to prevent slips
- Using non-slip mats in bathrooms
- Ensuring adequate lighting fixtures for the house
- Installing grab bars near toilets and in showers helps provide stability for seniors, reducing fall risks.
Government Schemes for Senior Citizens
The Indian government provides the following schemes and subsidies aimed at helping seniors with home modifications.
Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana: Provides assistive devices to seniors from below-poverty-line families.
Atal Vayo Abhyuday Yojana: Supports seniors by improving access to basic amenities.You can choose DIY options for renovating or remodeling your home. For better results, consider working with professional architects or an experienced tech-enabled construction company. Customize your home to meet the needs of both your family and elderly members while ensuring safety for children. After all, everyone ages eventually, so it’s important to prioritise the comfort and safety of seniors in your home design.
Mithali Konety