Changes That Make Single-Level Living Work
Many people who believe they need an elevator need something simpler: a way to live comfortably on one floor. It costs less, takes days instead of weeks, and can be undone.
Start with the bedroom and the bathroom
Day-to-day independence depends on three things being on the same level: somewhere to sleep, a toilet, and a place to wash. If a study or dining room can become a bedroom and there is a bathroom nearby, the upstairs can be kept for guests and storage.
Make the bathroom safer
- Grab bars fixed into the wall framing beside the toilet and in the shower. Suction bars are not a substitute.
- A walk-in or roll-in shower with a seat and a hand-held shower head.
- Non-slip flooring, and no loose bath mats.
- A raised toilet seat or a comfort-height toilet.
Remove the small obstacles
- Level the thresholds between rooms, or fit low ramps over them.
- Swap round door knobs for lever handles, and twist taps for lever taps.
- Take up loose rugs and tidy trailing cables.
- Widen a doorway if a walker or wheelchair will not pass comfortably.
Light the route
Falls often happen at night between bed and bathroom. Plug-in night lights along that route, and switches that can be reached from the bed, are cheap and effective.
The front door
One or two steps at the entrance can be enough to keep someone indoors. A ramp or a regraded path, a handrail on both sides, and a covered, well-lit place to stand while unlocking make leaving the house routine again.
When this is not enough
If the only bathroom is upstairs and cannot be duplicated, or the person wants and is able to keep using the whole house, that is when a stairlift or lift earns its cost. Compare them in stairlift or home elevator.
Home Elevator Phoenix AZ is an independent information site. It is not a contractor and is not connected to any elevator company. General information only, not medical, legal or financial advice. Sitemap