By Hank Ozzy
From accidents, health conditions, or simply through the process of aging, you might find yourself facing limited mobility at some stage in your life. While these circumstances can be challenging, making the right adjustments to your living space can help make things a little bit easier for you. Below are some key alterations you might need to make to your home if you are someone with limited mobility.
Wheelchair Ramps
If you do need to use a wheelchair full-time or part of the time, getting a wheelchair ramp installed at your home will likely be necessary, especially if you have steps leading to your front and/or back doors. You can have a removable ramp built if you don’t want or need to have one in place permanently.
Widening Doorways
Another potential home improvement you might want to make is widening the doorways in your home. Again, this can be beneficial for wheelchair users who need more room to use their chairs indoors. However, even those who don’t use a chair but instead crutches or another support device might find the extra space useful as well.
Bathroom Upgrades
From support bars to walk-in showers, there are several adjustments you might need to make to your bathroom for a safer and more comfortable bathing experience. You need to make sure you are reducing the risk of slips and falls, so speaking to a bathroom specialist to help you design a new bathroom for your needs can be a good idea. You can get some ideas of what’s on offer for this store that offer mobility bathroom supplies.
Stairlifts
This could be another useful alteration to your home, especially if getting up and down the stairs is going to be a challenge or a greater safety risk for you. You might need to have your staircase widened if it’s narrow, but a stairlift could be a great way to allow you access to the top floors of your house. If this is not a practical change for your living space, then you may need to create a downstairs sleeping area for yourself if using the stairs is too challenging.
Lower the Kitchen Counters
This could be another beneficial renovation, particularly if you enjoy cooking and want to make sure you can live with more independence in a wheelchair. Lowering the kitchen counters will give you better access to these worktops so you can use the appliances and prepare food with ease. Creating space underneath the worktops for your wheelchair to sit under when you’re cooking is also something to consider.
Consider Changing Your Furniture
Another option that you should consider is whether or not the current furniture in your house is practical for you. For example, you might need lower tables, or couches that are higher if that will be easier for you to get up and down from. This can ultimately make you more comfortable and enjoy your living space to the fullest.
If you have recently experienced changes in your mobility for whatever reason, think about the adjustments you might need to make to your living space for a more comfortable and safe home.
