One thing each of seems to not think about is how accessible our homes are. Did you ever notice the size of the door to the bathroom? Walkers may be too wide. It’s most likely smaller than your bedroom door. This is just one of the things you need to watch out for. Otherwise, you just may find out how important those things suddenly are when you have a problem.
We don’t think we are going to get hurt or require the sudden need for finding a contractor. Just recently after stepping out of my bathtub my foot sort of missed my shoe and I slipped a bit. Fortunately, the side of the shower wall was close enough for me to grab onto, but it wasn’t designed for that. A grab bar would have been nice to have. Actually you need a few of those. You see a lot of accidents in the bathroom. Taking these precautions now could save you much grief, pain, and expense of treating an injury. And who wants to tell your friends you slipped in the bathroom. So falling and not being able to get up can happen at any age!
Walk-in showers are great for safety and homes more accessible. However, just mind the curb. Have it as low as possible. Remember it’s a shower not a tub. And the combo tub/shower kills two birds with one stone. But having a separate shower is best, especially if you have older people in the home or visiting. Stepping over a tub wall for someone with balance issues or arthritis can be hard and risky.
You see many bathrooms with toilets in their own cubby holes. I never understood that tiny enclosed space. Truthfully if you are doing some business I don’t want anyone else in the room. Better yet, cleaning those toilet alcoves is frustrating trying to get in there. Cleaning around a toilet is far easier without the walled off toilet in that limited area. And think about servicing the toilet. If it’s hard to clean, then what about servicing it once something in that toilet needs replaced?
Did you think about stairs? Those are very risky. Two banisters for stairs instead of one have a lot of merit to it. This is especially true if you have kids sprinting to the top while you are heading down! Older residents may need to grab both for balance as well. Yet, people don’t really think much about that.
Older homes and many newer ones present risks just to get inside. Look at your thresholds to get into your house. How many steps do you have? Why do you need to live on a mountain of steps? Furthermore, they get icy in the north. Steps are invitation to broken bones!
Sure porches are awesome. But gradual transitions to the street are a must.
Making your home safer could save you more than just a twisted ankle. If your grandmother is visiting you seeing her break a hip at your new house would break your heart as well as her hip.
Making homes more accessible may hardly seem like a priority. Nonetheless, it is something that really deserves more attention to protect yourself and loved ones in the future that comes sooner than you think.
