4 Ways You Can Prepare Your Home for an Elderly Family Member to Move In


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Upon coming to the decision that elderly family members will soon move into your home, you likely know that you have a number of preparations and accommodations to make. Of course, each case is different, and you must account for specific factors, such as medical conditions, that affect your situation. However, you can use some overall suggestions to get started on preparing.

Prioritize Safety

You want to make certain that your home is safe for the elderly relatives. Depending upon the health of your relatives, you will need to take varying measures. For example, if your relatives struggle with walking, you may need to install a ramp to the front door or ensure that a bedroom and bathroom are available on the first floor of the house. You may also need to hire a nurse to come during the day when you are out to ensure that your relatives do not injure themselves by taking the wrong medication or leaving the stove on.

Create a Separate Space

Remember that your elderly family members likely still crave their own space. In fact, they may really feel hindered by having to move into the home of someone else. Creating a space that is truly theirs can help. For example, you might opt to hire granny flat builders, or you may allocate the current den as the living room of your family member. Of course, your relatives absolutely must have their own bedrooms, and giving them their own bathroom can prove helpful as well.

Consider Scheduling

Having someone else live in your home can definitely make for a challenging experience, especially when you are all on different schedules. While you want to respect the schedule of your relatives, you also still need to make meals, get the kids on the bus and arrive at work on time. If conflicting plans are going to become major issues, you may want to get out some markers and make a color-coded schedule.

Have Transportation Ready

Keep in mind that you are integrating your relatives into your lifestyle. If they no longer have the ability to drive, you may need to purchase a larger car to fit the growing household. Another possibility is that you’ll have to look into a bus service that can take your relatives to their local activities. Your relatives are likely going to want to get out of the house for some recreation, so start considering this element now.

Preparing your home for elderly relatives to move in may seem daunting. However, if you take the process one step at a time, you can have a successful experience.