How To Make Your Home More Accessible

It is important to do as much as you can to look after your health. This can include eating healthy and
being more active, but sometimes your health is out of your control. As you get older simple things that
you are used to doing every day can get harder, and sometimes you can be hit with an unexpected
illness. This is when you might have to consider making your home more accessible. There may not be
any need to make drastic changes to your home. Still, if you or one of your loved ones is starting to find
simple tasks more complicated, it can be helpful to make changes that will make these tasks easier so
that you can continue to be independent. Here are a few things that you can do to your house to make it
more accessible:

Grab bars

Grab bars can be placed around your home to assist with stability. They can be placed next to the toilet
so that you can steady yourself when you sit down or stand up. They can help if you need to pull
yourself up rather than using your legs. Grab bars can also be put in the shower so that you have
something to hold onto while you are standing in the shower, or if you want to move without slipping.
They are simple things, but if you put them in the right places, they can really make a difference to your
day. 

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An extra bannister

If it is getting more challenging to walk up the stairs, but you don’t want to get a stairlift, you can put
another railing up on the opposite wall. This will allow you to support your weight on both bannisters,
while you walk up the stairs instead of leaning on just one side. It will make walking up and down stairs
easier and will ensure that you are not putting too much pressure on one side of your body. 

Walk-in shower

If you have a bath that you have to climb into to shower you may want to think about getting a
walk-in shower put into your house. If you do not have the funds for this, an alternative option is a
tub cut. This is a lot cheaper and can be completed quickly in just one day. A tub cut is a cut out on the
side of your bath that can turn your bath into a walk-in shower. You do not need a new bathtub, it can be
fitted to the tub that you already have. There are different types that you can choose from, including the
step and the ultra-low. You can also get one that is convertible or with a door so that you can still use
your bath as well as your shower. 

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Change your door handles

As you get older, your dexterity can reduce, and it can become more difficult to turn round doorknobs.
You may think that they look nice, but you need something that is more practical to use. This is why you
should think about replacing them with door handles. Door handles have a leaver that you push down
rather than having to turn them. 

If you have round taps, they may be as difficult to turn as doorknobs, so you could also think about
replacing them with a faucet that has a leaver that you can pull and push rather than turn.

Outdoor stair rail

An outdoor stair rail does the same job as having a bannister outside. It gives you something to hold
onto and allows you to support yourself when you are going up and down the stairs outdoors.
Depending on how many stairs you have, and how difficult you find it to get up the stairs, you can decide
whether you want two rails or just one rail.

Stool to perch on in the kitchen

If you find it difficult to stand for extended amounts of time, you could get a stool that you can perch on
when you are in the kitchen. This will ensure that you can still wash-up and cook for yourself without
tiring yourself out too much or putting yourself in unnecessary pain. Your stool can be tall enough to
support you in a position that has you nearly standing so that you can still reach everything that you need.

Many of these changes to your home are inexpensive and quick to do, but they will help you or your
loved one to retain their independence for longer.