While we are young, we usually don’t realize that a lot of things we are able to do now we won’t be able to do when we get older. What this means is that, while you have no problem running up the stairs to your bedroom now, the same action will be difficult – if not even impossible – once you become a senior adult.
That’s why it is important to think about the future ahead of time and design your home so that it can allow you to age gracefully. Think of it this way – when putting together a nursery for your new baby, you want to make sure that they will be able to grow and develop properly and that the space will be able to accommodate their growth. The same goes for you – you want to make sure you will be able to use your home even when you reach your senior years. So, let’s see how you can design a bedroom you’ll be able to use once you become a senior adult.
Choose the right location
First and foremost, you need to determine the right location for the bedroom. It would be best to choose a space on the ground floor because you never know if you will be able to climb the stairs once you grow old. This part of the entire process can be skipped, of course, if you live in a flat, but if you live in a multi-story home, aim at the ground floor. However, if this absolutely can’t be done for whatever reason, at least make sure that your staircase can welcome a chair lift sometime in the future.
Pick the right furniture
When it comes to furniture pieces you should include in a bedroom designed for the elderly, you should really try to keep it safe and simple. What this means is that all the wardrobes, nightstands and dressers need to be secured, to minimize the risk of any potential accidents. Since elderly people – more often than not – have difficulties walking around, it’s not so unusual for them to grab onto furniture pieces for some added stability. Furthermore, make sure that the bed in the bedroom is not either too high or too low, to make getting in and out of it easier.
Make sure it’s well-lit
Next, since our vision tends to deteriorate as we age, it’s very important that the bedroom designed for seniors is well-illuminated. For instance, this contemporary dementia care community made sure that all of their rooms have big windows, but aside from that, their rooms feature plenty of artificial light as well. So, make sure you install various lighting solutions in the bedroom so that moving around is made as safe as possible. Aside from the general overhead lighting, add task lighting on nightstands as well as a night light to make moving around in the dark easier. Finally, make sure that the general light can be turned on and off from various places in the room to make controlling it more convenient.
Add the necessary equipment
Since seniors usually have a lot of free time, you need to make sure that their room has all the necessary entertainment equipment. So, make sure you install a TV but try to mount in on the wall and remove any cables from the floor to prevent tripping. Furthermore, add a bookshelf or two as well as a reading nook and see to it that it’s well-illuminated to make reading easier and more comfortable. Finally, install a landline phone and even a Wi-Fi for some additional fun.
No matter if you are putting together a bedroom for your ageing parent or you are thinking about the future and trying to make one for yourself when you get older, these are some of the considerations you need to keep in mind.
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