Simple modifications make for a more senior-friendly home

As we age, it often becomes necessary to modify our surroundings to make our homes safer and more comfortable.

According to a 2000 survey of people age 45 and older by the American Association of Retired Persons, the overwhelming majority of midlife and older Americans want to remain living independently in their own homes and communities for as long as possible.

The survey also found that seven in 10 of those who are able to make changes to their homes have made at least one modification to make it easier for them to get around. Two-thirds of those who made home modifications believe those improvements will allow them to live in their homes longer than they would have been able to otherwise, most for another 10 years or more.

Eighty-five percent of those polled said they've already made simple changes to their homes, such as placing nonskid strips in bathtubs or safety bars in showers and handrails on both sides of staircases.

If you are considering making modifications to your home, many home-safety options are simple and require just three things: common sense, a few low-priced materials and a little help with the installation.

Many of the more popular improvements can even be completed over a weekend. They include:

• Levered doorknobs. Inexpensive levered doorknobs, which are simple to install with a screwdriver, simplify the door-opening process for elderly persons with little hand strength.

• Grab bars in bathrooms. These can help in case of accidental slips or falls.

• Levered faucets in kitchen sinks. They make it easier for those without strong grips to turn faucets on and off.

• Handrails on both sides of staircases and on front and rear steps. Useful in case of a fall or if you have difficulty climbing stairs or steps.

• Higher-end toilets to make sitting and standing easier.

• Ramps for those using walkers and wheelchairs. Simple wooden ramps can be installed quickly and easily.

• Hand-held showerheads for those who must sit.

• Portable shower seats, so that showering can be done while sitting.

• Night lights to help see when it's dark inside the home after bedtime. Using the maximum allowable wattage in light fixtures.

In addition, there are many other improvement options out there. Many take more time, effort and money than the ones listed above, however, particularly those for the bathroom.

Bathrooms are more of a concern because seniors are required to move around and get up and down on surfaces that may be wet and slippery with hard floors underneath. However, falls can be avoided by decreasing the amount of time spent standing in the shower and eliminating the need to step over the tub rim.

Motorized and manually operated bath lifts are also readily available for installation, as well as roll-in showers to accommodate wheelchairs.

Also high on the degree-of-difficulty scale for some elderly people is the transition in and out of chairs and beds. Therefore, attaching bed rails to sides of beds can be helpful, and hospital beds and electric lift-up chairs with level control also make transitions smoother.