By Freelance Writer, Jane Sandwood

When my grandparents got older and needed extra care, my parents thought it best to invite them to live with us at our house. In many ways, I was excited to have more family members around all of the time, and I knew that the dynamics between our family and all of our conversations would be enriched. But first, we had to take the proper steps to make sure the home was ready for their needs.

Some of the renovations to our house that we made included, installing grab bars in the bathroom and adding ramps to the door by the garage. These simple, inexpensive updates made things much easier for my grandparents – especially my Grandma, who regularly liked going in and out of the house to spend time in the garden. It was also an extreme relief for my parents to have these support systems in place, as there was now less of a risk for my grandparents to fall or slip.

If you are considering making updates to your home for the sake of your aging loved ones, here are some useful ideas:

  • Replace tile floors with short pile carpets
  • Install adequate lighting in dark rooms or corners
  • Change handles from knobs to levers to ease opening
  • Make sure every staircase has proper railings

By installing any of these and other senior-friendly ideas for the home, you can ensure that your parents or grandparents are able to live safely and adequately with you—and you can easily remove or change the updates as time goes on.

Photo by eberhard grossgasteiger on Unsplash