Designing Your Home With Your Resident Elderly Parent In Mind
When you have an elderly parent who moves into your home so that you can help care for them and provide companionship, you may find yourself rethinking your home's interior design. After all, you had designed your home to accommodate your tastes and needs, but that may not always be conducive to a comfortable and safe living environment for someone who is elderly. Get to know some of the ways that you and your interior designers can work together to redesign your home with your resident elderly parent in mind so that you can be sure you are all happy in your home together.
Add Furniture That Is Easy To Get In And Out Of
While chairs and couches that are extremely soft and low to the ground can be very comfortable for you and your younger children, they are not so accommodating to your elderly parent. A piece of furniture that is very soft with lots of cushions will not necessarily provide your elderly loved one with the support that they need for their somewhat-weakened body and trying to stand up again from soft furniture or furniture that is low to the ground can be a struggle, if not impossible, for your elderly parent.
As such, consider redoing your interior design starting with your furniture. You can easily find fashionable and stylish pieces that provide firm support and that are taller. If you do not mind recliners in your living room design, for example, consider investing in a recliner that is also a lift chair. These devices are designed with older people in mind (or people who are recovering from certain surgeries) and can actually mechanically assist your elderly loved one from their seated position to standing with the push of a button.
The bed that you choose for your elderly loved one should be similarly easy to get in and out of for someone with limited mobility and muscle strength. Try to choose a bed that is a height at which your elderly parent can sit on the edge of the bed with their feet just able to rest flat against the floor. This will help them to be able to stand out of bed more easily. And be sure to have a solid night stand next to the bed that they can use for support as they stand.
Go for a Minimalist Design for High Traffic Areas
There are certain areas of your house that you and your elderly parent will move through more often than others. For these high traffic areas like hallways and common living spaces, you will want to keep your design somewhat minimalist in nature. This is not to say that you cannot line shelves with permanent botanicals and have art and pictures lining the walls.
In this case, minimalism refers to the furniture and potential obstacles that could make your home difficult to navigate for a person whose mobility is compromised. For example, areas rugs and coffee tables could be problematic for your elderly parent who may not easily be able to lift their feet to avoid tripping or turn to avoid objects easily. You will want to have wide and clear walkways and spaces for your parent so that they are safe as they move about your home.
Now that you have a few ideas of how to adjust your interior design with your resident elderly parent in mind, you can make the necessary changes while still keeping a lovely and beautiful design aesthetic in your home. Contact an interior designer like one from Persimmon Lane for more tips and assistance.