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Many senior citizens move into assisted-living apartments or
hire home-care help when daily chores become more difficult. Some
home modifications or gadgets currently available might make it
possible to stay in your own home longer. Let's look at some
ideas for making a home "user friendly."
It's amazing what can be accumulated over a lifetime.
Closets are filled, dresser drawers bulge, cupboards have little
room left, and boxes multiply in the garage. For easier, safer
living, unclutter your home by donating, selling, discarding or
giving away unwanted or unneeded items.
Install automatic-sensor electric lights at any hazardous
spot to prevent a fall and possible bone fracture. Cover slick
flooring with kitchen carpet to help prevent falls and reduce
injuries.
Since twisting and turning door knobs, jar lids and faucet
handles becomes more difficult with age, change your door knobs
to lever handles and purchase a jar opener. Install faucet
handles that mix water temperatures.
Turntables in cupboards make items swing into easier reach.
Attractive baskets and containers hold assorted items on the
counter. Often, it's easier to hang something on a hook than put
it in a cupboard. Magnetic holders are handy for pot holders and
dish towels. Keep frequently used dishes on a shelf that's easy
to reach and store the "company" china on a higher shelf.
Bathing can be difficult, since bathroom doors often are
narrower than other doors, making wheelchair or walker access
difficult. You can enlarge doorways by several inches if you
replace door hinges with swing-clear hinges. Pocket doors also
leave a wider opening than a regular door.
Install grab bars on the toilet, bath or anywhere else you
need extra support and leverage. For safer bathing, use special
chairs that work in the tub and shower. Hand-held shower
attachments are easier to use than a stationary shower head. If
you have enough room, leave a high-back chair in the bathroom and
cover it with a bath towel. When you step from the shower, sit on
the chair and dry. When you finish, the towel will have dried
your back.
Opening drawers can be another problem. A decorative rope
tied between two knobs on a dresser drawer makes for easier
access when you pull the cord. Soap stubborn drawer slides with
soap for easier opening.
Most everyone knows the "911" number for emergency. But,
impaired vision or darkness may make it difficult to see the
numbers. Purchase inexpensive stick-on felt circles and apply
them to the 9 and 1 on the phone so they can be identified
readily by touch. Other ideas would be to mark the numbers with
brightly colored tube paints.
Two sources that have many ideas for easier living are "The
Gadget Book," from the American Association of Retired People,
and "Eighty-Eight Easy-To-Make Aids for Older People," by Don
Caston.
For more information on independent living for seniors,
contact your local Colorado State University Extension office.
For more information, contact your local
Colorado State University Extension office.
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