Homes should be modified to suit elderly person
SPECIAL TO YOUR HOME
A family tradition as old as the family itself is returning, and it’s changing the look of the family home. Sixty years ago, more than 25 percent of American homes housed several generations of a family. That tradition shifted after the 1950s when rural America moved to cities. That shift produced retirement communities, retirement homes and assisted living.
But since 1990, the number of multigenerational households has grown by approximately 40 percent with more than 50 million Americans living in such households, according to Pew Research Center. As life expectancies increase, these numbers will continue to accelerate. And that acceleration is modifying the interior of many homes.
Robert Scholl, owner of State Medical Equipment, said it’s the little things that can make a home more comfortable for the elderly.
“If your elderly parent or grandparent has his or her private bathroom, it’s more convenient if there is a toilet seat elevator,” he said. “This item makes the toilet seat a bit higher so there is no low bending. It’s also easier to get up.
“Then there is a lift chair which is like a recliner that reclines all the way back to where the legs are elevated. This is important if the person has diabetes or has issues with his or her legs or swelling of the feet. Later, the chair, which can be cloth or leather and is quite handsome, lifts all the way up to a standing position where the person can just walk away. There’s no need to sit and rock to get momentum to stand. ”
Nicole Spencer is director of nursing for BrightStar Home Care of Las Vegas. The company provides all levels of home care from companion services to skilled nursing to 24-hour in-home care.
“When I visit a home these days, I see many families living together,” she said. “There are children with parents, or grandchildren with grandparents, or nieces or nephews moving in with grandparents in order to take care of them. These families are coming together as opposed to moving the elderly into group homes.
“People are living longer because of the many new medications we have and because of all the recent advances in health care. We are also living longer due to healthier dietary habits. Add the increasing number of retiring baby boomers and the decrease in pension funds and we’re seeing many elderly who need some assistance but not complete care that would require a nursing home.
“Therefore, these individuals are moving in with a member of the family and that means making home modifications to accommodate the needs of this older person.”
Most homes are furnished with stylish furniture and handsome carpeting.
“Those expensive Oriental area rugs are nice, but they’re a high-fall risk hazard,” Spencer said. “The corners can come up and people trip on them or their walkers, scooters, wheelchairs or canes get caught on them. My suggestion is put double stick tape on the corners of the rugs to prevent them from rolling up.
“Also, because of all the electronics people have in homes today, we see cords everywhere and that equals tripping. Make sure cords are safely set aside and not in a walking area.”
Spencer suggests that stairs in a two-story home have a strong rail and be carpeted. She advises placing a nonslip mat in front of the kitchen sink and wants everyone to clear the hallways of clutter.
Scholl, who also is a licensed respiratory therapist, said new senior furniture is introduced all the time and much of it is presented during furniture trade shows in Las Vegas.
“One of biggest items that I rent is hospital beds,” he said. “These beds keep in- dividuals secure in their sleep. A person can grab hand rails to sit up and have the knowledge that they can get in and out of their bed without falling. There are also bedside tables that come out from under the bed.”
And it’s not just the bedroom or front room that needs attention. According to Scholl, most accidents among seniors occur in the bathroom.
“I highly recommend grab bars for stability in the shower and elsewhere,” he said. “And don’t forget rubber bath mats that grip the floor of the tub. Maybe even add a shower chair. The best is a standalone shower rather than having the senior step over the side of a tub into a shower. That’s a wet and slippery accident waiting to happen.”
Homebuilders are aware of the rising statistics of multigenerational families in one home and are building handicap accessible homes with more bedrooms on the first floor. Other homes are being built with an adjoining guest house, sometimes referred to as a mother-in-law apartment or casita.