More and more seniors are opting for renovating their current residence to suit their needs instead of pulling up stakes and moving from their home of many years. Some renovations can be costly and extensive, but there are many minor changes you can make that will make life easier. The key is to look at your routine and habits and see if you can modify your home to better suit your needs.
General Changes
Replace round doorknobs with lever-style handles which are much easier for arthritic hands to turn.
Put lights at the top and bottom of all stairways, high traffic areas and closets. Rocker switches tend to be easier to use for people in wheelchairs. Dimmer switches can be handy for directing low lighting to specific areas, such as between the bedroom and bathroom. Small night lights are good for those areas as well.
Remove all throw rugs, they are too easy to trip on, and a source of many accidents.
You may want to widen doorways to accommodate wheelchairs or use swinging or sliding doors.
The backs of stairs should be filled in to prevent falls, and install handrails on both sides.
Add extra telephones so that you never have to run to answer the phone, or use cordless models.
If you're trekking up and down stairs to do the laundry, consider relocating your laundry room to the main floor. The apartment size, stackable units can easily fit into an existing closet.
Place a fire alarm in every room and test it regularly.
An emergency response system can assist in the case of emergencies. Generally they can be installed for a small price with a subsequent monthly monitoring fee.
Bathroom
Install grab bars by the tub and toilet.
Hand-held shower heads are easier to use when using a bath seat.
If replacing faucets, consider lever type or control arm taps for easier use.
Door locks should be easy to use with large knobs and an emergency release.
A bath seat or raised toilet seat can make life easier.
Living Room
Treat yourself to new furniture that has high cushions and sturdy arms; you'll be surprised at how much easier those up's and down's will be.
Kitchen
Consider adding lower level shelves, lazy-susan cabinets or sliding shelves for easier access.
Outdoors
Place a bench outside each entrance to your home. The next time you're trying to unlock the door with your arms full of groceries, you'll appreciate the rest stop for you and your packages.
Place a textured surface on your outdoor steps and ensure you have solid hand rails.
Those who claim that working from home is wonderful because it permits them to be home with the little ones and still make a bunch of money quite obviously have never tried it. Sure, this idea is great while school is in session or junior is taking a nap, but the moment the kids are home it is next to impossible to conduct any kind of business. This requires many a parent to work late into the night in order to make up for lost time during the day and this is not at all in keeping with the smiling images that seem to populate the websites selling work from home programs.
While children and the home based business may be somewhat of an oil meets water situation, there are some ways to work around the situation:
1. Depending on the age of the child, get them involved. If you business is cake making, children old enough to stir or crack eggs should be given the opportunity to work on a small batch of dough. Sure, you might toss out the dough when junior is not watching (it might be hopelessly over mixed and the gluten malformed as a result) but the prospect of helping will make her or him feel less like they do not have your attention and more like they are integral part of whatever it is that you are doing.
2. Set boundaries and be willing to abandon them at a moment's notice. While it is one thing to let your elementary school aged child know that until the big hand reaches the 12 you will not be able to play, a wailing child or one that is barely fighting back the tears will not permit for productivity. See these boundaries you set as somewhat flexible. Conversely, if it is just a matter of a child not wanting to come up with ways of entertaining her- or himself it is wise to not feed into this behavior by enforcing the boundaries or providing ample school work opportunities that will keep the kids busy until you are done with the business at hand.
3. Enforce boundaries that are being broken by the nature of the business. This applies especially to those who will find seasonal ups and downs in their business, such as freelance tax professionals. While it is tempting to work around the clock to rake in the money, small children will not understand why you are home but not playing with them. Get your priorities straight and only take on enough work that will keep you fiscally afloat but not so much that your child is paying for it in time away from you.
4. Remember that while being home with the kids means caring for them and watching after them, it does not mean hosting a play date for all the neighborhood kids whose parents neglected to find babysitting. Of course, unless saying no is second nature to you, you might find that this is a hard road to travel and you will be wise to discuss this friends and family members who might be able to offer some insight as to how to deal with the request for babysitting while you are working.
Be sure you take the abovementioned into consideration before starting your Home Based Business. It definitely can work ? it will just take some juggling ? get good at that then!
Both Re Writer & Francina Smit are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Re Writer has sinced written about articles on various topics from Family, Austin Properties and The Beach Resort. This article was submitted for Anne Eliason at West USA Realty. She will gladly answer all of your inquiries, including the many outly. Re Writer's top article generates over 1500000 views. to your Favourites.
Francina Smit has sinced written about articles on various topics from Home Businesses, Web Development and Home. Francina Smit is the owner of and writes articles on various subjects regarding a Home Based Bus. Francina Smit's top article generates over 33100 views. to your Favourites.