Providing care to a loved one is a very rewarding experience. But if your loved one has recently become injured or disabled and will be living with you for the foreseeable future, you may need to make some modifications to your home to increase their comfort level. According to the Caregiver Action Network, nearly 65 million people provide care to people who need assistance and spend roughly 20 hours per week doing so. The active time you spend providing senior care can sometimes be decreased based on your home’s layout and what assistive products you have available for use. Here are some tips for making your home more hospitable for a senior loved one.

Install A Wheelchair Ramp For Entryways

Installing a wheelchair ramp, even for temporary use, can make the life of your senior loved one much easier. When they don’t have to lift their feet very high to enter the home, they’ll be more confident and reduce the risk of tripping and falling at the same time. Most wheelchair ramps can be installed quickly and safely by a professional, and can even be removed when it’s no longer needed.

Use Grab Bars In Bathrooms

Many slip-and-fall accidents happen in the bathroom. Placing anti-slip rugs and mats can go a long way in preventing falls, but grab bars are also essential products to include. Grab bars are much stronger than towel bars and are designed to help people maintain balance and hold onto them if they lose their balance. They also help provide stability when getting up from the toilet, getting out of the shower, or simply walking across a damp surface.

Remove Trip-And-Fall Hazards

Trip-and-fall hazards may become more prominent when providing senior care to a loved one. Your decorative throw rug in the living room may seem harmless, but it can present a hazard to a senior with mobility limitations. Electrical cords, certain pieces of furniture, and other objects could also reduce a senior’s mobility, so it’s ideal to remove them if possible. It’s a temporary sacrifice that can make a huge difference in your senior loved one’s peace of mind.

Practice Patience And Understanding

When providing senior care in your home, the main thing is to be patient and understanding with them. They likely don’t want to have to rely on you to care for them because they want to be independent, so understanding their feelings can help you be more patient with their needs. Use the extra time spent with them to talk about happy memories and make the most out of the situation.

At Next Day Access, we want to make home accessibility as simple as possible. We understand some of the challenges you’ll face when caring for a senior in your home. If you know you’ll be entering a new phase in your life where a senior loved one will be living with you, contact us today to schedule a free home assessment and see what possible changes could help make life a little more convenient for you and them.