Older adults nowadays make for a huge portion of the overall population. When it comes to ageing adults, the majority of them has the opportunity to choose how they want to spend their senior years and where. They have a choice of either go to a retirement community, move in with their kids or younger family members or age in place. Whichever the choice, the concern still remains – will they be able to keep up with the quality of their lifestyle?
Some additional concerns also involve their health and overall safety, which is definitely something that should not be overlooked. With that in mind, here are some design solutions that will make older adults feel at home no matter their living situation.
Safety, security and the overall well-being
The number one concern of both ageing adults and their children is definitely their overall safety. Now, when we say safety, we are not talking solely about various intrusions or break-ins; this matter encompasses everything from physical safety of their homes or living solutions to fire safety, as well as to which extent they personally are safe in there regarding accidental trips, falls and other potential mishaps. Therefore, in order to make you elderly feel as safe as possible in their living arrangement, make sure you take care of all the safety measures and provide them with the living space they’ll feel secure in. This can be a great option for most senior citizens if they want to stay in their home and if they don’t posses any physical difficulties, however, if they live alone and have complicated medical conditions or difficulty moving around the house, then the best option would be to consider checking out an assisted living community for proper care. In addition, if you are looking to maintain your furniture, the you might want to have a medical friendly upholstery service to preserve your favorite vanity or comfy sofa.
Natural light
Additionally, as we get older, our vision usually deteriorates significantly, which is why you need to make sure that you provide your ageing loved one with plenty of natural light, as well as opulent artificial light. Aside from that, make sure your senior loved ones have a nice view from their windows as this is another seemingly little thing that will have a huge positive effect on their overall well-being. The importance of this can also be noticed in various retirement communities. For instance, at Mark Moran Vaucluse retirement living all the living units are designed to receive as much natural light as possible with beautifully organized areas outside of every home.
Freedom of movement
Next, no matter the living situation of your senior adult, whether they are receiving in-home memory care or assisted living services, you need to make sure that they have uncompromised freedom of movement. What this means is that you should see to it that all the furniture pieces in their living environment are organized in such a way that they allow for unobstructed movement. Furthermore, make sure all the cables and similar obstacles are either completely off the ground – to prevent trips and falls – or organized and stored neatly away from any walking path. Finally, make sure that there’s no clutter in their living arrangement because clutter can also obstruct their movement. It’s really important that you keep a close eye on the number of things your ageing seniors have in their living environments because some people tend to develop a hoarding disorder as they get older, which can develop into a more serious problem.
Add greenery
Finally, if there is a single thing that can instantly make any house feel like home, it’s definitely greenery. So, consider adding various house plants in your ageing seniors’ residence – but make sure they’re easy to maintain – not only to make the space feel homier but to encourage an additional sense of purpose in your senior loved ones. Losing the sense of purpose is something many seniors tend to struggle with so providing them with something to look after and take care of will make them feel much more needed.
Therefore, no matter what the living situation of your senior loved ones is, there are always ways you can make it more pleasant for them and make the entire space feel much homier and cosier. So, keep these solutions in mind if you have an ageing adult you want to make feel pleasant in their living situation.