Australians are retiring later and later, with more Australians than ever planning to retire past the age of 70. Regardless of when you plan on retiring, it's a good idea to start planning your living arrangements as soon as possible. Most Australians will choose to purchase a retirement home to live out the rest of their days. Finding the right home plays a huge part to your quality of living. In particular, you want to look for a retirement home that has features that will prevent slip and fall accidents from happening. This article will look at 3 important features that your home should have.
More Carpeting than Hardwood Floors for Extra Traction
As you get older, your body becomes less nimble and much more fragile. It's easy to lose your balance and slip on slippery surfaces throughout your home. The ideal retirement home should have surfaces that offer some type and form of traction and grip. This is where carpets come in handy. Not only does the rough surface of the carpeting provide traction and grip, but the carpet can also soften the impact of falls. All slippery surfaces should have added friction, like grit additives in the paint or adhesive grit strips.
Handrails Installed Throughout the Home for Support
As it's easy to lose your balance and support, look for a retirement home that already has handrails installed everywhere. This way, you'll be able to reach up and hold onto something for support even if you do fall or if you feel weak and unable to support yourself. Look for handrails that are installed onto walls, the sides of cabinets and tables, and more.
Easily Accessible Light Controls for a Better View
A common cause for slip and fall accidents is poor lighting. As you age, your eyesight also generally worsens. It can be difficult to identify tripping hazards quickly. When getting a tour of the retirement home, take a look at whether there are numerous accessible controls for the lights. There should be more than one switch that controls the light fixtures in each room. In addition, some retirement homes have upgraded home lighting systems that can be controlled via an app that can be installed on a phone.
Conclusion
When looking for a retirement home that you can safely and confidently call home, you should not hesitate to look for homes that already have built-in safety features that can prevent slip and fall accidents. There are many other factors that you also need to take into consideration, such as whether you like the layout of the home or whether it is situated in a pleasant neighbourhood.
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