Tips For Creating A First Floor Bedroom For Your Senior

If your senior loved one is planning on aging in place it’s important that they have a first floor bedroom so that as they age they won’t need to be trying to negotiate stairs multiple times each day. Having extra help from senior home care services can be an asset as well.

When choosing the spot that will be converted into a ground floor bedroom there are a lot of things that should be considered like:

Proximity To The Bathroom

Senior Home Care Alachua FL - Tips For Creating A First Floor Bedroom For Your Senior
Senior Home Care Alachua FL – Tips For Creating A First Floor Bedroom For Your Senior

One of the most important things to consider when planning on renovating a downstairs room to turn it into a bedroom is the proximity to a full bathroom. Be willing to think outside the box when thinking about how to create a first floor bedroom that has easy access to the bathroom so that if your senior loved one needs the bathroom in the middle of the night they won’t have far to go. For example, converting a mud room to a bedroom might be a good idea if the mud room is only steps from the bathroom.

Privacy

Privacy is also important for any room that is going to become a bedroom. Remember that your senior loved one could have senior home care providers coming in and out of the room or working around the house. Seniors should be able to close their bedroom door and have privacy from any senior home care providers or workers in the house. For that reason a room like a dining room that is located near the central part of the house might not be a good location to turn into a bedroom.

Natural Light

Natural light is important in a bedroom. Seniors need Vitamin K, which is gotten from sunlight. Having natural light also helps seniors maintain a good Circadian rhythm. A living room or family room with plenty of windows might be a better choice for a bedroom than an interior room like a formal dining room to convert into the principle bedroom. But on the flip side of that there also shouldn’t be too much light or else your senior loved one may have trouble sleeping. Enclosing a porch or converting a sunroom might seem like a good solution but in reality those rooms would probably have too much light to work as bedrooms.

Safety

The number one thing that you should consider when planning a renovation to create a ground floor bedroom is safety. Not just safety to keep people from breaking out but safety to keep your senior loved one in. If your senior loved one has dementia you don’t want to create a bedroom that has easy access to any sliding doors, outside doors, or patio doors that they could use to slip outside in the middle of the night. Safety bars on the windows are a good idea, and it’s also a good idea to plant hedges or tall flowering plants outside of the windows. Put alarms on the doors if necessary to ensure that your senior won’t be able to wander out the door and get lost.

If you are considering Senior Home Care Services in Alachua FL, for an aging loved one, please contact the caring staff at Touching Hearts Home Care. Call today: 352-225-3727.

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