Making the Home Safe & Accessible

It’s important that, if you are the residential caregiver for your loved one, you inspect your home for safety issues.

  • If your loved one has limited mobility, can their walker or wheelchair be easily maneuvered through your home?

  • Do you need a ramp installed outside your home?

  • Can your loved one operate and do they understand your home’s alarm system?

  • Are food items within easy reach?

  • Can your care recipient comfortably use your bathroom facilities, including the bath and shower? Does the toilet need a raised seat?

  • Is your home’s indoor and outdoor lighting sufficient for your loved one?

  • Remove any rugs that slide on hardwood or tiled floors.

  • Are there any electrical cords crossing walkways?

  • Inspect outdoor pavement for cracks and breaks.

  • Are the railings on indoor and outdoor stairs strong and in good repair?

Modifications

Many of the modifications you may need to make can be addressed with simple assistive equipment. This equipment is readily available at most pharmacies and medical supply stores and may include:

  • Bedpan

  • Bedside commode or handle bar/grab bar apparatus

  • Raised toilet seat

  • Button threader

  • Elastic shoelaces

  • Grasper

  • Hospital bed

  • Lift chair

  • Long shoehorn

  • Shower chair/bench

  • Urinal

  • Walker

  • Wheelchair

  • Zipper pull

More extensive physical modifications to your home may include:

  • Brighter lighting

  • Elevator

  • Grab bars

  • Handrails

  • New shower heads or hose with sprayer

  • New toilet

  • Washer/dryer on main level of home