Even a minor stroke can have a serious impact on our bodies; sometimes making everyday tasks and getting around more difficult. Adjusting your home will help keep you safer and make it easier to get life back to normal. Here are 5 Tips to Adapting Your Home after a Stroke.
Reorganize Your Living Areas
Reorganize your kitchen, bathroom, and other everyday areas to make it easier to get access to items you need. In the bathroom, replace a high medicine cabinet with a lower cabinet over the toilet. If you have dual faucets, replace them with a single lever faucet.
In your bedroom, reorganize your closet so that items are easy to get to and put away. You can lower the clothes bar and remove the closet door or replace the door with a curtain if you don’t like the idea of an open closet.
For the kitchen, you can change out standard drawers for baskets. Place a lazy Susan in your cabinets to make it easier to access food, spices, and dishes.
Make Open Pathways and Remove Obstacles
Make sure that you have plenty of space to maneuver around your home, especially if you need a cane or walker to get around. Replacing a coffee table with a corner end-table will give you a place for cups and books while keeping the area clear of obstacles. If you have a table or plants in the hall, consider moving those to the wall of a more open room.
Make sure that you remove clutter. If you have trouble keeping things tidy, consider adding a couple of shelves to the living area and using small cloth bins to keep things in.
Install Grab Bars
Place grab bars in any place where you might need support. Placing them in the shower and next to your toilet is important for safety. They are not the only places you can find them useful, however. Install them in any place where you regularly need to bend or kneel to accomplish tasks. Placing one next to your refrigerator, dryer, or pantry means that you don’t have to worry about using shelving or doors for support when you kneel or bend. If you have uneven floors or surfaces that change in your home, adding a grab bar to those places will help minimize the risk of tripping.
Make Sure Your Bed Is the Right Height
Your bed should be an easy height to get into and out of without having to climb or fall onto. How high will depend on your body, but as long as you can sit on your bed with your feet comfortably touching the ground and your thighs sitting straight on the bed (not leaning up or down) you should be able to get up and down easily from the bed. If your bed is too low, consider replacing the box spring with something higher or adding risers under the bed. If your bed is too high, change out for a smaller box spring or use a bed frame that doesn’t require a box spring at all, depending on your height.
Install A Ramp
If you have porch steps, consider adding a ramp to make it easier to enter your home. This will minimize your chances of falling whether or not you need a mobility device to help you get around. If you have uneven levels where you have one or two steps, consider replacing these with a ramp surface.
Do you need a helping hand for you or a family member? Angels on Call are available 24/7 by phone: 1-888-432-1070. We have locations in Allentown, Harrisburg, Shippensburg, and York, just to name a few. You can also fill out our online form and tell us what kind of home care assistance you’re seeking.
