How To Make Your Home More Accessible

*This is a collaborative post

More often than not, the key to making a house a home means making it a place that everyone feels comfortable in. This means that you need to work on making your home as accessible as possible, especially if you have a loved one with a disability.

Fortunately, there are many different ways in which you can set about making your home more accessible. Read on to find out more. 

Focus on your home’s exterior too. When making your home as accessible as possible, you should make sure that you pay attention to both your interior and exterior spaces. For example, you may want to set about installing a ramp or handrails at entryways, to make it easier for those using mobility devices and aids to enter your home safely.

Make necessary adaptations. One of the easiest ways in which you can make your home more accessible is by adapting the spaces as much as possible. For example, you could work with companies such as Mobility Kitchen Adaptations to ensure that your loved one can make full use of the space. This can be achieved through installing gliding wall units, which bring the contents of cupboards downward (and toward the user) as opposed to requiring them to reach upward. 

Widen doorways. Narrow doorways can make it difficult for wheelchair users or those with mobility issues to make their way through your home. As such, you may find it useful to widen any doorways. This is a task you should reach out to experts for help on, as you need to make sure that you are not damaging your property’s structural integrity when making modifications. 

Turn your bathroom into a wet room. If you are thinking about upgrading your bathroom, then you may want to consider turning it from a more traditional bathroom space to a wet room. This is often achieved by installing handrails and seating, while removing a bath in favor of an overhead shower. This way, individuals with a range of disabilities can use the space independently, without the need for assistance - which may be the case if they were expected to get in and out of a bathtub. 

Be willing to make continuous changes. Over time, the needs of your loved one may change or become complex. This means that you should not consider any of the changes you make to be set in stone, and that you should always be willing to make additional changes when necessary. To support this goal, you may want to set aside some money each month to ensure you have enough cash to hand to get the job done right. Alternatively, you may want to do some research to figure out whether you’re eligible for government funding and support that can help to cover these costs. 

Final thoughts. In short, there are many steps that you can take to make your home more accessible. This way, your loved one feels safe, relaxed and supported, and they can make use of all of the spaces within your home without difficulty.