Ron SmithPublished on AIP - The Home Assessment Series: The Living Room and Bedrooms
An age friendly home is primarily about seeing the home as a place for safe, easy passage from one room to another to avoid the potential for dangerous falls. Equally important, it is about to making daily tasks easier to accomplish in order to maximize one’s independence for the longest possible time.
In this article we are focusing on living room and bedroom spaces. The first thing that we should do is to look at furniture placement. Is the furniture arranged to allow for clear, wide passageways? If not, can it be arranged in a better way? Or is there too much furniture in the room that makes it cluttered and dangerous to move around. Consider the possible need to eliminate excessive pieces. Are you actively using the piece of furniture, or has it become a dumping ground for laundry or items to be donated? As you assess your furniture and its placement be sure to have someone help you move pieces to try out new arrangements. For example, in the bedroom make sure that the bed is placed in such a way as to allow easy access to the bathroom.
Considering that trip to the bathroom, how easy is it to be accomplished at night? Do you have night lights or motion sensitive switches to assist in lighting your pathway when you wake up in the middle of the night?
Make sure that large area rugs are safely secured to the floors with non-slip pads or double-sided tape. Eliminate scatter or throw rugs. Are all cords placed out of the way to prevent tripping?
During the daytime provide as much natural light as possible to eliminate shadows and promote a positive emotional environment. Make sure that drapes, blinds, shades and curtains are easy to open and adjust to maximize natural light or to reduce possible glare. Some window coverings may benefit from remote controls when they are heavy or in less accessible locations.
As in other rooms, light switches should be rocker-style and installed between 35” and 44” from the floor. Electrical outlets should be placed 18” to 24” from the floor for the easiest access. Consider buying touch control lamps or “clapper” devices for lights or other electronics.
Closets should have interior lights. Motion sensor switches are great for walk-in closets. Adjustable rods and shelves can be adapted to suit the resident’s reach and strength. Pull down rods and pull-out shelves/baskets can make access even more accessible.
Can your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors be easily heard in every bedroom? If you’re hearing impaired, you might want to consider specialized equipment with strobe lights, bed shakers or a specially pitched sound alerts that can wake you. Some of these devices can be triggered by the sound of the smoke alarm.
Keep a phone and a flashlight with fresh batteries on your nightstand for emergencies. If you are prone to falls, consider a subscription alert or monitor system with a personal alert device. They are great peace of mind solutions for your children who don’t live nearby.
(Source: AARP HomeFit Guide at aarp.org/homefit.)
Ron Smith is a Maricopa resident and an aging-in-place advocate. He is also a member of the Age-Friendly Maricopa Advisory Committee and a member of the Maricopa Senior Coalition. Mr. Smith recently qualified for the CAPS (Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist) designation from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)
