Imagine the frustration of walking into a room and not being able to locate the light switch. It’s even frustrating when you’re able to locate it but for some reason, you can’t just navigate to where it is like you use to.
The kitchen floor makes your joints ache, and it’s always a struggle getting in and out of your bathtub. It gets even worse when you find out that you cannot spring up from your favorite reclining chair, not with the ease you were used to.
Being a senior citizen means you have to battle with daily tasks constantly. Eventually, everything begins to chip away at your self-esteem, which may trigger feelings of exasperation and anger. To alleviate these symptoms some like the idea of adopting services like assisted living for seniors to help alleviate worries and help them adapt to life with less struggle and worry.
Having a supportive environment helps remove the stress element and brings the elderly confidence in taking on their day-to-day activities with more ambition, a feeling of safety, and joy.
These are some of the factors you want to take into consideration when coming up with interior design ideas for an older citizen. You have to look beyond following fashions and designing rooms that look the part, to paying more attention to safety and comfort.
Fortunately for you, help is only a scroll away. If you’re looking for interior design ideas that meet all the practical needs of a senior citizen, here are a few simple but practical interior design ideas that you might want to read:
Consider Safety When Choosing Furniture
Senior citizens are a delicate lot. It’s like their body is always looking for an excuse to stop functioning.
You have to be careful with how you handle them or choose their household items. It starts with the furniture you choose. You want to avoid any piece of furniture with pointed edges, especially when shopping around for tables and countertops.
The last thing you want is to populate their rooms with pieces of furniture that can easily bruise or cause harm to them.
Pick items with round edges for Feng Shui comfort. The same goes for countertop corners – find those with round corners – not those with sharp edges. So, keep these thing mind when choosing gift for grandpa.
Use Proper Lighting
It’s been said, the first thing to shut up in a person’s life are the eyes. They don’t necessarily have to end up blind but don’t expect their visual strength to remain the same as they age.
The point is to have as many lightings as possible to help them as they maneuver through the rooms.
Add cabinets light in the kitchen. Have table lamps and bedside lamps on the ready, just in case they need to switch one on.
Add as many switches as you possibly can. Remember to also add a 3-way switch near the bed for turning the room light on and off.
Remember to also add night lights in the bathroom and kitchen for safety.
It’s also crucial that you take advantage of the natural light during the day. This not only helps them with vision, it’s also good for their overall well-being. It will also help them keep their sleep cycles intact.
If possible, try installing motion sensor lights in their bedrooms and bathrooms to promote safety and independence.
Forget about Style and Decorate for Comfort and Manoeuvrability
Senior citizens can do with all the comfort they can get. Your furnishings must guarantee total comfort, and height is a determining factor in what you choose and what you leave behind.
The bed you choose must be easy for them to both climb on and out. It should be neither too low nor too high.
The chairs must at least bear an armrest that they’ll be using to support themselves when rising from their seats.
Make sure the bathroom is Properly Adorned
Fold towels and hung them neatly on a towel bar. But let’s not forget that these towel bars tend to be a little too delicate and can prove to be dangerous when someone reaches to grab them to stop themselves from falling.
For this, you want to ensure that you have installed a grab in their shower area and toilet. You might also want to consider using honed tiles on the floor to reduce their chances of slipping.
It goes without mentioning that the taps in the bath and sink must be temperature regulated to avoid scalding.
Reconfigure Furniture
The chair and couches that you choose for them must be comfortable, soft, and with solid colors. Their fabric must be easy to clean, just in case of continence issues.
The furniture must also be positioned such that they can easily engage with those around them or face outdoors.
You’re strongly advised against positioning the furniture right in front of the TV.
Fix Your Floors
How you work your floor to accommodate the needs of seniors is a twofold process. First, you want to make sure that you’ve cleared the floor and that there are no rugs or cords to create a tripping hazard for your senior loved ones.
Make sure there are no rugs or cords around. The ones you spot and which you cannot get rid off find a way to hide them and keep them at a safer distance.
The second is about the materials that you choose for the floor. You’re advised on using tiles or hardwood, and where you’re already using them, you might want to consider covering them with area rugs. Add carpeting on all the rooms that they frequent to.
A better option would be to go with wool carpeting. These tend to be flame retardant and have a more luxurious feel that’s hard to achieve with any other form of carpeting.
Update Your Painting with Something More Soothing
Avoid using dark colors or extreme patterns on your wall. You want to replace them with something more soothing.
Lighter colors are good for improving your room visibility. Green colors or soft blue help to add tranquillity.
However, when accessorizing everything, try not to match your furniture with the wall. You need the contrast to enhance their visibility and make it easy for them to differentiate between objects.