Accessibility In Your Home

With the baby boomers aging there is a new demand in keeping homes easily accessible for the elderly and those with special needs. This can often be something that is overlooked in the initial development plans for a home or renovation. There are numerous ways you can make simple changes to your home during a renovation to make it more accessible, but here are a few key areas to keep in mind:

Ramps: Adding a ramp to the outside of your home instead of steps can make it easier for people to walk in and out of your home. Contrary to popular belief they are very customizable and can be custom made in order to match your outside landscape, and not take away from the look and feel of your home. Often your contractor will cover the ramp in a coating to prevent it from becoming a slide when it becomes wet. They are also easier to clean free of snow in the winter than your average set of steps.

Steps: Steps are a great way to add character to your home, but often can produce hassle for people when entering your home. Talk to your contractor about ways to keep the outside walking areas of your home on the same level. Eliminating simple things such as a step from the driveway to the walkway for the front door can not only make things safer, but also look good with the proper landscaping and design. You can also take it one step farther and look at the inside of your home. Thresholds for rooms often can be made level in order to have a smooth entry way between rooms this is a great way to decrease people tripping in your home.

Space:  This serves two purposes, first it can make your house seem larger than it actually is and second it can provide plenty of mobility for everyone in the home to move around without bumping into one another. There are two main areas that greatly benefit from added space to your home and they are the kitchen, and hallways.

Kitchen: This is often one of the busiest places in the home, when everyone wakes up in the morning they are all rushing around in the kitchen preparing their lunches and eating breakfast. Having extra space allows for everyone to move around freely without feeling like they will knock into someone. It also allows for people with wheelchairs and scooters the ability to easily interact with all areas of the kitchen giving them a broad range of mobility.

Hallways: Keeping your hallways wide allows 2 way traffic to pass through them efficiently without any problems. It can also give you the ability to place a small desk or table in the hall for decoration adding an extra touch to your home’s interior.

All these additions are just a small part of the things you can do to make your house more accessible for your loved ones. With these options becoming more common there is a constant update in standards and code for these to be kept at, this is where consulting with your contractor can have a true benefit in providing you with the proper knowledge and insight to keep things in check. Contact us today.