Skip to content
Christmas Sale: 50% OFF Knee Scooter!
Christmas Sale: 50% OFF Knee Scooter!
Is Buying a Knee Scooter Worth It? Reading Some Ideas for the Elderly Friendly Home Design 7minutes 13 Gift Ideas for Older Women in 2022

Some Ideas for the Elderly Friendly Home Design

The rapid development of the 21st century has brought about some serious problems, such as the aging of the population. The aging of the population caused by the development of society has gradually become the focus of society. With the growth of the aging population, their needs are also increasing. Both the physical and psychological needs of the elderly have gradually changed. The requirements of elderly friendly home design have gradually increased. 

Elderly Friendly Home Design

How to protect old people? How to design an elderly friendly home? Here are 3 ideas for elderly friendly home design. 

1.Elderly Friendly Bedroom Design

Elderly Friendly Bedroom

1.1 Spacious room for elderly friendly bedroom

The elderly friendly bedroom should be a sunny and spacious room which can prevent it from being too humid to prevent the growth of bacteria and mites. It is not suitable to put too many furnishings in the bedroom of the elderly. Sofas, wardrobes, beds, and other furniture should be as close to the wall as possible to fully meet the requirements of the elderly to live easily and safely. 

1.2 Choose suitable bed for the elderly

Because of the receding physical function, some old people have a habit of getting up at the night to use the washroom. Their bed should be set near the door to make it easy to go to the toilet. It is better to choose a harder mattress or a thicker mattress for the elderly. For those who are suffering from rheumatism, lumbar muscle strain, and bone hyperplasia, sleeping on a soft bed is harmful to health. The height of the bed should be appropriate to facilitate getting up and out of the bed to avoid accidental spraining or falling. 

1.3 Install light switcher at the right places

The elderly friendly bedroom should have a light switcher at the entrance of the bedroom, otherwise, old people may trip into the house in the dark. A light switcher at the bedside is also necessary so that the elderly can easily switch the light when they get out of bed in the middle of the night. In order to ensure the safety of the elderly when they wake up at night, the bedroom can also be equipped with a night light. Some elderly people like to read in bed, so a bedside lamp is necessary, preferably equipped with an adjustment switch, which can be brightened or dimmed as needed. 

1.4 Install the bed rail for the elderly

In order to make an elderly friendly home design, it is vitally important to make sure that the beds are equipped with bed rail for the elderly to prevent them from falling accidentally at night. The bone of the old people is vulnerable and fragile due to the low levels of calcium. An accidental falling may cause fractures or more serious injuries. Bed rail for the elderly are specially designed to protect old people from fall with suitable material and height to ensure the safety of the elderly. 

1.5 Choose good-quality soundproof materials for the bedroom

The elderly is hard to sleep well. The indoor sound insulation effect directly affects the quality of life. The indoor soundproof are mainly to confine the noise to a small space and shield the external noise from being disturbed, thereby providing a comfortable sound environment for the old people. It is best to choose materials with good sound insulation when decorating, such as vacuum glass with better soundproofing effects and soundproof ceilings and walls, which can effectively reduce noise and improve the sleep quality of the elderly. 

2.Elderly Friendly Bathroom Design

Toilets are usually cramped and slippery, so accidents in toilets are common in daily life. Falls in the bathroom are very dangerous for the elderly who may suffer from severe injuries, sequelae, and functional limitations. Due to slow reflections and the reduction of muscle, older people are more likely to fall. Moreover, the bones of the elderly are very fragile due to the loss of calcium, which may cause serious consequences if they accidentally fall in the bathroom.  In order to provide more comfortable living conditions for the elderly, the living environment must adapt to the changing physical fitness of the occupants. Elderly people have limited mobility, which requires a high requirement for the accessibility of the bathroom. Even if the elderly still have the ability to walk, they still need to consider the use of wheelchairs and leave room for nursing staff. The elderly friendly bathroom should be spacious and barrier-free and can prevent accidental falls and bumps. 

Bariatric Toilet Safety Frame

2.1 Avoid accidental slippery in the bathroom

Because of water, soaps, and other toiletries, the bathroom floor is always slippery. Therefore, the floor must be made of non-slip material. All kinds of floors have non-slip options, such as ceramic, cement board, epoxy, and rubber floors, all of which can be well applied to bathrooms. It is recommended to use contrasting colors in bathrooms to avoid confusion between different equipment and facilities. Some experts recommend using contrasting colors in bathrooms, for example, to contrast the walls or floors with sanitary ware to avoid confusion among elderly people with reduced vision. 

2.2 Install toilet safety rails

It is necessary to install toilet safety rails on the toilet and at the entrance of the bathroom. The material of toilet safety is usually aluminum or stainless steel and should be firmly fixed to the wall. If the bathroom has a large space, it is better to install grab bars on the empty wall which can lead to these two key locations in the bathroom.

2.3 In-time and accessible alarm devices

Even if all these precautions are taken, it is still important to predict the worst-case scenario. When the elderly have accidents and need to send out messages, doorbells, alarm bells, and emergency buttons are very important. They are generally connected to companies, and the companies will quickly assess the situation to take action. It is important to place these devices close to the floor and easy to touch so that they can be used even when the elderly cannot get up. 

3.Elderly Friendly Kitchen Design

Elderly Friendly Kitchen

3.1 Choose appropriate height of cabinets

If the height of the cabinet is too low, it may increase the load when bending down; if the countertop is set too high, old people need to raise their hands to cook, causing shoulder pain. Therefore, the height of the cabinet countertop needs to be designed according to the height of the elderly.

3.2 Avoid the use of gas

In the kitchen, it is recommended to choose a good induction cooker and try not to use gas to avoid the danger caused by flames and prevent potential dangers such as gas leakage. 

3.3 Pave non-slip floor tiles

The elderly friendly kitchen should be paved with non-slip floor tiles. It is better to maintain a certain slope of the ground to avoid water on the ground. When necessary, a rubber non-slip mat should be laid on the floor tiles to increase friction. Install grab bars in the kitchen to help the elderly to move and hold in case of slippery. In daily life, the floor should be kept dry to avoid accidental slippery.

Conclusion

In conclusion, elderly friendly home design should focus on the bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen, where the old people mostly use and live. Creating a barrier-free for the elderly is not easy but is essential. Every detail of the elderly friendly home design can help to protect the elderly from accidents. 

Previous article Does Medicare Cover Walkers?

Join OasisSpace

Subscribe to get our latest news, updates and products!