Is The Heart Of Your Home Safe?
The kitchen is the heart of your home. It plays a central role in day to day life and is frequented most often during waking hours by members of the household. It is also the room that can benefit from a lot of modifications as family members age and abilities decrease. Being able to continue using the kitchen safely and efficiently enables self-care for as long as possible: making it possible to keep preparing healthy meals, saving money by eating at home, and preventing avoidable injuries.
Making a few simple changes in the kitchen can allow a person to remain at home longer, with more independence. There are so many possible updates for better aging in your and your parents’ homes.
- Updated Light Fixtures: poor lighting is a contributor to accidents for the elderly whose eyesight is not what it used to be – seniors need up to 5 times the amount of light that young adults do. Replacing older, low wattage lights with newer, bright white LED bulbs and adding additional lighting around the kitchen can help. Under-cabinet lights can be installed to eliminate shadows on counters. Improved lighting can help an older person read recipes and directions and can enable him or her to grasp items with better confidence, avoiding spills and broken glass. Lighting over the sink and stove is also important – the better the visibility in the kitchen, the less risk of injury.
- Faucet Replacement: older homes could use a major facelift when it comes to faucets. Old knobs can be difficult to grasp and can be stiff or difficult to turn. Replacing these with newer lever-style hardware will not only make it easier and less painful for seniors to use, it can also make it easier to adjust water temperature and avoid burns on fragile skin, especially when integrated with anti-scald devices.
- Slip-Resistant, Anti-Glare Flooring: no matter what your budget, make the flooring in your kitchen and elsewhere in the house a top priority. Flooring should be slip-resistant and easy to clean to reduce the risk of falls. Anti- glare flooring is easier to navigate with older eyes.
Appearance and functionality are important when it comes to redesigning the kitchen. Older people have different needs as they age, and the kitchen is where seniors are very vulnerable. The benefits of improving the most used living space in the home are worth the cost, as is knowing the kitchen is a safer and a more usable space. As more and more seniors make the decision to age in place (at home), updating the kitchen should be a priority to improve safety and comfort.
Need more info? Email me direct at carla@albertaindoorcomfort.com
by Carla Berezowski,
Home Comfort Expert
