Senior Home Care - Granny Flats And In-law Apartments

Known as in-law apartments, or granny flats, they are becoming the accommodations of choice for senior home care, for both seniors and their children. Rather than the vision of a nursing home with wide linoleum hallways, wheelchair ramps and stainless steel grab bars, seniors are opting to make the needed modifications to live safely in their own homes, or they are moving into modified quarters in their relative’s homes. With the number of in home supportive services now provided by state, federal, and community agencies it has become quite possible for an aging population to permanently stave off the prospect of winding up ones later days in some unfamiliar place.

Termed as ‘aging-in-place’, the construction, home-furnishings, and appliances industries have certainly noticed the trend. Fueled by baby boomers that had a peek at their own future when their own parents aged, a segment of the remodeling industry has started to cater to this new trend.

Some cities have also begun to modify zoning restrictions on single family unit homeowners who wish to add granny units or in-law apartment to their properties. Technically, an in-law apartment or granny unit is a complete living space with it’s own entry that includes a private kitchen and bath. So, whether this is being considered as a separate unit, an attached unit, or a garage conversion, one needs to check with the local municipalities to see what is allowed and what is not allowed.

Whichever way you go, either remodeling existing living quarters or adding living quarters, you can go the way of practical functionality, or design functionality that has the goal of style coupled with accessibility. This means making the accommodations as invisible as possible and taking things like bathroom grab bars and higher toilet seats away from the institutional look as far as possible. On the high end of this kind of rethinking is the "universal design" movement that strives to make homes and furnishings that work for nearly everyone, no matter what age, size, shape, or infirmity. If this peaks the interest of anyone reading this article, then find "The Universal Design Handbook," that is considered a bible for designers, students, clients and builders.

However, on the level of the functionality of providing senior home care, here are basic adaptations that should be considered:

1. Grab bars, shower seals, or transfer benches.
2. Non skid strips or decals in the tub or shower.
3. Lever handles on doors, loop handles on cupboards, and paddle electrical switches.
4. Ramps elevators, or stair lifts.
5. Insulation, storm windows, heating and cooling.
6. Handrails
7. Improved lighting
8. Security Systems
9. Additional living space for a caretaker
10. Wider doorways to accommodate walkers, crutches, wheelchairs.
11. Lock out features on stoves or ovens.
12. Digital displays on thermostats
13. Minimizing interior and exterior doorway thresholds for easy maneuvering.

And here are some less basic senior home care modifications:

1. A sink that can be raised or lowered
2. A raised dishwasher
3. Roll-out shelves
4. Cabinet doors that retract to leave knee space for people in wheelchairs
5. A counter that slides out from under the oven
6. Kitchen-floor edging in a contrasting color to help orient elders with limited vision.

Anyway, explore all the options for senior home care because now as never before, there are ever more options available to help care for an ageing population.

Long Term Care