Interior Design Solutions To Help Elderly Family Members ♥

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*This post is in collaboration with Premier Care, however, as always, all thoughts and opinions expressed are 100% my own.

Aging is a part of life, but it doesn't mean that aging needs to make life any more difficult. More often than not families may have elderly relatives living with them, who feel as though they no longer want to live by themselves, or who are in need of a bit of extra help with daily life.

My grandparents lived for almost twenty years with my uncle and his family and as a child I always wished they could have lived with me, I'd have loved to have seen my grandparents every day.

However, a lot of modern homes simply aren't ideal for elderly people. In fact, as the years go by, new build houses appear to be getting smaller! So how can a family with elderly family members living with them or indeed who have elderly family members living on their own, make their homes more suitable and comfortable for an elderly person to live in?

Here's a helpful room by room guide:

1. Bathroom
The bathroom is probably the hardest part of the home (apart from the stairs) for an elderly person to navigate, but one that can be fully adapted to make it more user friendly.

Changing the traditional bath suite to a walk-in shower is a great idea for elderly people whose movement might be restricted and may make it difficult to step in over a bath.  Walk-in showers are also a great adjustment to have in place in a smaller bathroom as it saves space that perhaps a walk-in bath might take up - unless you have a spacious bathroom of course.

Premier Care specialise in stylish accessible bathrooms and their accessible bathrooms are all very stylish. Grab rails, folding seats, etc. are all great additions to have in a bathroom so that an elderly person can use the whole bathroom comfortably without needing assistance.

2. Kitchen
If your elderly relative enjoys cooking, baking, etc. then it's important to have a kitchen that they can move about in freely. Having non-slip flooring is a great addition for an elderly person so that they don't have to worry about falls.

3. Living Room
Having an uncluttered living room with an easy to walk about furniture arrangement is ideal for elderly relatives. Avoid trip hazards by not having anything on the floor. If you have children in the house, designating a corner of the living room for the toys, etc. is a good thing to do. This will hopefully avoid any toys getting in harms way and causing a fall to elderly relatives.

Grab handles are also a great addition to be situated next to your elderly relatives favourite sitting space, so that they can help themselves to get up more easily. If grab handles are not an option,  a lift chair is also a great addition to the living room as it can maneuver itself into a tilt position, making it easier for elderly people to get up to stand.

4. Bedroom
Carpet is a much better flooring to have in an elderly person's bedroom as not only is is softer, meaning that it'll be easier on your loved one's joints, but it will also help to keep their bedroom warmer in the winter months too and create friction to avoid falls.

Placing a sturdy chair by their wardrobe is a simple thing too, but great for giving them an area to sit while they get dressed, put on shoes, etc.

Electric adjustable beds may also be helpful for helping your loved one to get up out of bed easily in the morning, or, if this isn't an option, having a lower bed frame or mattress can help them to get in and out of bed more easily.

5. Stairs
Stairs can sometimes be tricky for elderly people to navigate. Having a sturdy handrail one one side and grab bars on the other can make it easier for elderly people to get up and down the stairs.

Stair lifts are another great option, however, they can be costly. Grants may be available for stair lifts depending on your circumstances.

Hopefully these solutions will help you to help elderly family members be more comfortable in their own homes or your home if they live with you.