Canadian seniors want to stay in their homes! The Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation found that 90% of older Canadians prefer to “age in place.” It’s something future generations will want, too, but a 2019 Angus Reid survey found that 67% of Canadians are concerned about future mobility issues.
Diminishing fears related to mobility and allowing homeowners to achieve the goal of ageing in place starts with renovations that consider future needs. They don’t have to be big, either! Here are the benefits renovations to any entrances and doorways can have for seniors.
Exterior Entrance Renovations Make It Easier To Get In & Out Of The Home
One of the main benefits of entrance renovations is how they make it easy to enter and exit a home. For instance, when you have to contend with Canadian winter weather, seniors should have the necessary accommodations to move to and from the car to the house!
For readier access, exterior doors should open into the home, with inswing doors. It will not force a person to step back when opening the main entryway to go into the building.
Wider Doorways & Entrances Allow For The Movement Of Mobility Equipment
Renovators can make getting in, around, and out of the home much less strenuous for people dependent on mobility devices such as wheelchairs and walkers. An exterior wheelchair or walker ramp will help when entering the house, while you can widen doorways and hallways to make getting around inside the house easier.
Door Handles Become Easier To Manage
For accessibility renovations, we recommend replacing round door knobs with levered handles. You can also add keyless locks and entry systems. These changes will make it easier to open and close them if a senior has a loss of fine motor skills, arthritis pain, joint stiffness, or changes in vision that make it hard to turn a doorknob or insert a key into a lock and turn.
Entrance & Doorway Renos Are Likely Not To Be Noticed
Do you have a loved one who’s hesitant about accessibility renovations? They might have an idea of these changes as ruining the character of the house. It’s not accurate – a professional contractor specializing in accessibility renovations will make the changes attractive and flow with the rest of the house. In the case of entrance and doorway renovations, you may not notice the change at all!
Of all the accessibility renovations a senior could add to their home, widening doorways and making them easier to navigate is one of the least intrusive options. It’s something families can think about when planning their home renovations if they are concerned about future mobility issues.
Renos To Entrances Makes A Home More Inviting!
Making a home accessible for the seniors living there is one thing, but what if they can’t visit any of their friends or neighbours or have them come over? Making a home welcoming for all means modifying three entrance features: the main entrance, doorways and halls, and the main floor bathroom.
The main entrance should have no steps, be at least 36″-wide, with 43″ or more of clearance on the approach to the door, and you should use the grading at this part of the home so that an entrance ramp is unnecessary. To this end, a home’s design and lot layout may make a side or rear door the most cost-effective main entrance!