Age-friendly living: comfort and safety at home

Most senior citizens want to live independently in familiar surrounds for as long as possible. However, most homes require certain precautions to make them accessible and age-friendly. The good news is that renovations or even simple adjustments can help older people move about their homes freely and safely into old age.

What does age-friendly living mean?

Age-friendly living is closely linked to a person’s physical condition and mental state. Older people often experience health problems that make it difficult for them to live independently. For example, declining stability and strength can turn stairs and thresholds into serious obstacles. Making sure interiors and doorways are accessible for older people often prevents dangerous falls and early admission to a nursing home. To meet the requirements for elderly living, rooms should be easily accessible with no major obstacles.

Here are some things to bear in mind for accessible living:

• Your home must be easily accessible. You should be able to reach your flat without stairs – either directly or by lift; houses should have ground-level access and living space.
• Interiors should also be free of steps or thresholds to allow barrier-free access to all rooms.
• A walk-in shower, an accessible washbasin and a bath with grab handles can make it easier for you to manage your personal hygiene routine.
• If you use a walker or wheelchair, make sure you have enough space to move around and that all your doors are wide enough to be fully accessible.
• The right technology and lighting also help keep you safe on a day-to-day basis.

Age-friendly living makes your daily life safer and more comfortable. It also helps you maintain social contact and prevent loneliness in old age. Similarly, accessible living space with no steps or thresholds makes it easier for visitors with wheelchairs or prams.

To maintain a high quality of life in old age, independence is crucial. Practical aids for senior citizens allow freedom of movement on a day-to-day basis and increase safety – without extensive renovations. They can help you manage care in old age independently. There are many solutions that can simplify routine tasks. Your local medical equipment retailer can give you further information on aids that enable age-friendly, accessible living.

Aids for an accessible bathroom

Even slight limitations can make daily personal hygiene routines in the bathroom a challenge and increase the risk of a fall. Fortunately, there are a number of aids that can help you use the shower, bath and toilet. They also make it much easier to care for family members. The following aids can help you in the bathroom:

• An accessible washbasin with fittings that you can reach easily, even when sitting down, and which are easy to operate if you have limited fine motor skills. Non-touch models save water and are easier to operate. Keep all your essential toiletries within easy reach and have something to sit on at the washbasin.
• A shower stool for senior citizens can provide a simple, if not entirely stable, way to sit down in the shower. A better, more compact alternative is a wall-mounted folding shower seat. Shower chairs with armrests and backrests are particularly stable and comfortable. They provide support and can be used at the washbasin as well. You can also fit grab handles in your shower to make it easier to get in and out.
• A bath lift or bath seat for senior citizens can make personal hygiene easier if you have limited mobility. However, you need to be capable of lifting your feet over the edge of the bathtub yourself or have someone to help you.
• A taller toilet or a raised toilet seat will help you to stand up. Many raised toilet seats come with additional standing aids such as stable armrests.
• A height-adjustable handheld shower head makes it easy to shower in different positions, for example, seated on a shower chair.

Aids for everyday living

Age-friendly living includes the following aids, which can make everyday tasks less complicated and provide greater independence:

• A standing aid for senior citizens helps relieve the strain on joints and muscles from sitting down and standing up. Riser recliner chairs can be particularly useful. They rise to an upright position at the touch of a button to ease the transition from sitting to standing.
• A standing aid for the bed makes it easier to stand up from a lying position. You can use an adjustable bed frame to lift your head or feet, relieving pressure on your body ensuring a comfortable position for sleep or care. Alternatively, you can use a nursing bed, which allows you to adjust the height of the bed. This also makes it easier for carers.
• Grabbers for senior citizens can help you reach objects without excessive bending. Shoehorns and aids for pulling on tights and stockings make getting dressed much easier. Window handle extensions allow you to open and close hard-to-reach windows.
• Non-slip mats are a good option for accessible living in the kitchen, so too one-handed cutting boards if you don’t have use of both hands. Special bottle and can openers make it easier to deal with containers. A dustpan and brush set with a long handle will allow you to sweep up without having to bend down.

Smart home solutions for senior citizens

New developments in the area of accessible living with technology are opening up a range of possibilities for adapting living spaces to individual needs. In many cases, digital aids increase safety, make it easier to get around and help people in their daily routines. Here are some examples:

• Loudspeakers with an emergency function are part of all modern medical alarm systems. They usually consist of a base station connected to the telephone and a portable emergency transmitter worn as a watch or a necklace. You can trigger the alarm at the touch of a button. They also include sensors that can detect a fall. You can get straight through to the provider’s emergency call centre via a hands-free system. The loudspeakers are easy to use, so senior citizens can get help quickly and easily.
• There are various smart home devices for senior citizens that perform household tasks or make them easier. AI-based robot vacuum cleaners prevent strain by cleaning floors automatically. A networked smart home system lets you control the lighting in your home at the touch of a button or by voice command and adjust it to your needs at any time.
• Automatic stove-monitoring devices are another example of age-friendly technology. They can help you avoid hazardous situations in the kitchen. Compatible with all electric cookers, they monitor how long the stove has been on and control the temperature of the hob rings. They will switch the hob off automatically if it overheats or runs for too long.

How do I design my living space for safety without sacrificing comfort? This question becomes more important as we get older. Since around half of all falls in old age occur in the home, fall prevention is key here. Even small changes can make rooms accessible and remove dangerous trip hazards.

You can put the following tips into practice with a little bit of DIY (or an experienced helper):

• Go through your daily routine and identify any potential obstacles in your home. Remove unnecessary furniture and keep corridors and stairs free of objects. All stairs should have a handrail. Arrange your furniture so that you can easily reach windows, cupboards and important areas in your home.
• Freeing up space will also let you move around with a walking aid. For example, allow enough space around your bed so that you can get in and out easily.
• For an accessible bathroom and home in general, keep rugs and runners to a minimum. If you do need them, put a non-slip mat underneath. If necessary, you can also secure the corners and edges with grip tape.
• Attach handles to your shower, bath and toilet to reduce the risk of a fall. These grab handles make it easier for senior citizens stand up in the bathroom and provide additional, sturdy support.
• Ensure bright, uniform lighting in all living areas. If you have vision problems, well-lit floors are particularly important. A motion detector for the light makes nighttime trips to the bathroom easier and contributes to age-friendly living.
• To make your kitchen accessible and functional as you age, keep the crockery you use every day within reach and ensure ingredients and cookware such as coffee or pots and pans are always to hand. Replace conventional shelves in overhead cabinets with glass shelves which make it easier to see the contents.

Make these changes early on to prevent falls and accidents at home. Accessible living also makes it easier to care for the elderly at home.

Sometimes, small adjustments to your living space are not enough to ensure complete accessibility in old age. Age-friendly conversion is often necessary, especially if you need a walking aid. If you own your own property, you can design your living space according to your needs. If you rent, consult your landlord early on before any making structural changes to make your home age-friendly. Here are a few examples of possible changes:

• Stair-free access makes it easier for people with walking aids, wheelchairs or walkers to enter your home. A barrier-free ramp leading to your front door ensures convenience and freedom of movement. Depending on the structural constraints, a masonry solution or a permanently installed wheelchair ramp for senior citizens may be suitable. Models with handrails offer additional safety.
• A stairlift for senior citizens can help people with reduced mobility go up and down stairs, and there are many options available. Installing a stairlift doesn’t alter the stairwell, although you’ll need to ensure you have sufficient space at the foot of the staircase.
• A walk-in shower provides barrier-free access and enables safe use, even for people with limited mobility. A shower chair or a wall-mounted shower seat can make showering more comfortable. Ensure you have non-slip flooring and enough space for a second person.
• An accessible garden is a good motivator for spending time outdoors. Make sure there is no threshold to your terrace or garden. A wide sliding door makes a terrace more accessible for people with walking aids and is easier to use than a conventional door. Solid, easily accessible paths and ramps with automatic lighting and sturdy handrails are ideal for garden access.

If your living situation requires major changes, such as renovating the bathroom or installing a stairlift, it’s a good idea to talk to a professional. Remember that every home has its own unique requirements. An on-site assessment will show you which measures are appropriate in your situation. For advice on planning a conversion for accessible living, speak to a housing advice centre, a trade association or your health insurance company. Forward planning will ensure your living space continues to meet your needs in the future. So no matter how circumstances change, you can enjoy age-friendly living in your own home.