As you spend your golden years here in your home in Albuquerque, your home may need to be adapted to accommodate lifestyle changes, accessibility and independence. Many people as they grow older are choosing to stay in their own homes. As such, you can make gradual adaptations in order to allow you to manuever through your home safely. It makes sense to plan ahead for these changes and start early. Making small renovations one at a time will help spread the overall costs.

Here are a few improvements you may need to do to your home in Albuquerque over the years.

Grab Bars

Having grab bars installed is a great way to limit falls and injuries. They are best installed where your floors transition to another level or may get wet. You should make sure you have a professional install them, as they need to be reinforced. An improperly installed grab bar can be pulled from the wall and cause injury.

Places grab bars should be installed:

• showers
• near toilets
• stairs
• room transitions

Home Entry

For the main entrance, you may want to install a ramp. The good news is that this doesn't have to take away from the curb appeal of your home. You can design a ramp from wood or concrete that will offer a gradual incline to the front door that also fits the aesthetic of your home.

Making Doorways Wider

If you need to use a walker or wheelchair, making your doors wider will make life easier. A contractor can widen a doorway in just about a day. Making a door 36 inches wide as opposed to the normal 24" or 32" allows for easier access, especially in tight spaces.

Floorplan Alterations

Having a more open floorplan to help you maneuver is important, especially when using a wheelchair. This will give you more open space to move around, as a wheelchair requires a square five feet to move freely. You can open up your living space by removing full and pony walls, creating cased openings, and relocating furniture and appliances to make sure paths are wide and clear.

If you live in a home with more than one floor, you may find yourself restricted mostly to the first floor. As such, you need to make sure that all the first floor has all the main rooms you need, such as a kitchen, bathroom and a space for a bedroom. If there is not a full bathroom on the ground floor, a contractor can create a full bathroom by adding a shower to an existing half bath or creating a new bathroom entirely. According to HomeAdvisor, a laundry room on the main level may even increase the value of your home.

Removing Thresholds

Removing floor thresholds between rooms can prevent tripping, which is the number one cause of injury for aging individuals. Many homes have a threshold between rooms where flooring changes. This can be alleviated by removing the threshold or installing a ramp that lets them move easily.

Shower Conversion

The bathroom can be a dangerous place due to slippery floors and tripping hazards. Even with the help of grab bars and grippy bath mats, it is important to remove tripping hazards. A popular option is to convert a bathtub into a shower without a threshold. This renovation can allow for ease of access especially for those in a wheelchair.

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