The following contribution is from another author.
Have you ever considered just how accessible your home is? You probably won’t have if no one in your family currently relies on a wheelchair. However, it’s still something that you should spend some time thinking about, as there might be a reason to create an accessible home for your future needs. After all, as we age, we often become a lot frailer and lose our mobility. Perhaps it’s a good idea to adapt your home now while you are able to carry out this work and maintenance? At least then you won’t have to worry about it at a later date. Not only will it benefit you in a few years’ time, but it will also make it easier for any disabled or elderly friends and relatives when they visit you.
Ready to make your home more accessible? Here are the five steps you need to take.
Make Doorways Larger
Firstly, it’s worth checking how wide your doors are. Some standard doors might be too narrow to allow a wheelchair to fit through. If this is the case, you should widen the doorways. To do this, you may have to hire a builder to take away some of the surrounding walls. Most door shops will sell wider than average doors, so you won’t have to look too hard for something bigger.
Add a Lift/Elevator
If your home is across a number of floors, you need to find an alternative way for wheelchair users to get upstairs. One answer is to install a stairlift, but if you take a look at Lift Works home lift installation services, you can see that getting an actual lift added to your home shouldn’t be too difficult. And these days, the cost of this home alteration is actually quite reasonable.
Put A Ramp To Your Front Door
Most homes feature a couple of steps up to the front door. If this is the case with your property, it’s a good idea to remove them and replace them with a ramp. That way, anyone in a wheelchair can still get through the door and into your house with ease. Again, this is something that a builder can help you with.
Invest In A Wet Room
Baths and showers are notoriously difficult for disabled people to use, so you might want to think of an alternative for your bathroom. Lots of people who create a more accessible home often replace their shower and bathtub with a wet room. In fact, they might even make the whole bathroom into a large wet room.
Increase The Size Of Walkways
You should also take a look at the walkways through your home. These are the main paths that people will take through each room. Are they wide enough to get a wheelchair through? If not, you might need to move furniture around so that you can widen them. It’s also necessary to keep them completely free from clutter.
If you follow all of these steps, then your home will certainly be a lot more accessible!
