Changing the physical structure of your home can make it easier to live independently without compromising your safety and mental health. You can widen doors, add safer entertainment and exercise features, and eliminate safety hazards inside and outside of the house. Below are some tips you can use when it comes to renovating your home to support your disability.
Lower Countertops
Whether in the kitchen, bathroom, or other home areas with counters, consider lowering them to make it easier when washing hands or dishes, cooking, or placing groceries and other items on the counter. Moving them down to suit your disability, particularly when using a wheelchair or having the inability to stand for long periods, will make it easier to take on regular household tasks. Lowering the countertops in your home can reduce the risk of accidents and injuries, allowing you to navigate the rooms with more confidence.
Support Rails
When taking a bath, walking down the stairs inside and outside the house, or going from room to room, it would be beneficial to have guard rails that help maintain your balance. This renovation feature is not as expensive as other strategies, but it could be a significant safety factor when it comes to your mobility. Keep in mind that slips and falls could be minor, or the injuries could lead to broken bones, blood clots, head traumas, infections, and other severe health risks. Therefore, when renovating your home to support your disability, consider adding rails in various rooms. The bathroom is usually first priority since it tends to get slippery. Next, you may want to consider strong stair railings that can support the weight of those who need them.
Above Ground Pool
Swimming can be one of the safest activities for individuals with physical disabilities due to the buoyancy of the water. It is low impact and allows you to move with less fear of falling or injuring parts of the body. Swimming is known to be especially great for those with osteoarthritis or other inflammatory conditions due to the reduced pressure on your joints. When you want to add a fun feature to the home, but one that is easier to maintain and safer to use because of its physical structure, an above ground pool installation is the perfect renovation choice. It can help you to exercise as well as recreate and relax after a long day.
Adequate Lighting Systems
If you have lost part of your vision but can continue to live a safe and active lifestyle, it would be essential to renovate the lighting system inside the home and add more light fixtures where possible. You could also add more lights to your porch or the walkways to your front and back doors, making it easier to see, especially during the late evening or night hours. Adequate lighting throughout the home’s interior or exterior can help with your vision disability, particularly when you have partial or majority of your vision capabilities. Consider putting night lights in the hallways, bathrooms, and kitchen for you to use when you get up in the night so that you won’t trip or run into things by accident.
Remember that having a disability doesn’t prevent you from living alone or participating in safe activities like swimming or cooking. There may be changes you need to make to your home, including the renovations mentioned above, but you can continue to live a safe, fun, and healthy lifestyle. Even the smallest of these changes can go a long way in creating a welcoming environment for yourself or others with disabilities who live in your home.
