Need to adapt it to your home?
One of the first big challenges will be adapting the home for people who are experiencing mental or physical challenges in their current environment.
Your local authority can carry out a free home inspection. An occupational therapist will visit the property and have the senior move around the house and perform some daily tasks to see if anything is amiss.
Minor alterations may cost less than £1,000 and be covered by the council. Several schemes are available to assist with more expensive tasks. You can also apply for a government disability accommodation grant of up to £30,000 in England, £36,000 in Wales and £25,000 in Northern Ireland. This grant is not available in Scotland. The charity Independent At Home awards grants on a case-by-case basis.
There are no specific income criteria for the grant. Instead, eligibility is calculated based on a person’s weekly income (taking into account income and savings) and the amount that the government determines a household needs to survive each week, or the “applicable amount.” If income exceeds this amount, applicants may have to pay for more extensive home renovations.
James Selson was 55 when his 93-year-old mother moved in with him and his wife.
His mother, Celia, lived for several years in a flat owned by Mr Selson, just around the corner from his home in Chiswick, west London. But there came a point when she needed to change something.
“She had become physically weak and even mentally weak,” Selson said. “She was becoming forgetful, so it made sense for her to come live with us.
“When my mother moved in, my wife did everything she could to insist that my mother had her own space and that the space she had moved into was exactly what she wanted.
Ms Telson received some help from the council after her mother’s health deteriorated and after carrying out a care needs assessment and financial assessment. “We helped her install a stair railing and she got a free orthopedic bed,” he says.
Annabelle James, co-founder of aged care advice website Age Space, says “future-proofing” is key to adapting homes.
“You should take advice on whether you need wider doorways, wheelchair access, wet rooms for showers, handrails etc. It’s very easy to do these things without thinking forward enough.” she said.
“We have to plan ahead. We have to consider all the adaptations to housing that will make people’s lives easier.”
Compiled by charity Age UK A long list of housing adaptations that can help older adults.
Of course, some of these adaptations can cost thousands of pounds and may not be eligible for grants. According to the British Care Guide, a straight stair lift costs between £2,000 and £4,000, while a curved lift can cost between £5,000 and £10,000. Swivel seats and easy-to-grip controls are also recommended for easy access to and from the elevator.
If you have to prioritize, it’s important to improve accessibility and minimize the chance of trips and falls. For example, you can install motion-sensor lights that turn on when you enter a room so parents don’t have to search for a switch in the dark.
If your parent uses a wheelchair or walker, it may be helpful to widen the door frame or hang the door so that it opens in the opposite direction.
Even small touches can make a difference. For example, in the kitchen, supplementary can openers, bottle openers, and jar openers can make your daily tasks easier. You can also use a kettle tipper to make lifting the kettle easier, or a sturdy dolly to help parents move things around.
Also, in the bathroom, installing grab bars around the bathtub, shower, and toilet can make a big difference in a senior’s independence. Special safety plugs that limit the water level and flood detectors that alert a monitoring center if the bath or sink starts to overflow also provide peace of mind.
Should I build a granny annex?
If you have the space and money, you might consider building a granny apartment or granny annex on your property. You can maintain your elderly parent’s independence while keeping help nearby if they need it.
Both options result in a completely separate residence from the main house. A granny flat is often a detached single-storey building in the garden of the property, whereas a granny annexe is usually an extension of the main property with its own kitchen and bathroom. Most often located on the ground floor.
There are also companies that specialize in pre-built homes for seniors. For example, construction company iHUS offers ready-made and bespoke granny flats from £106,000 to £139,000, and Homelodge Buildings offers timber-framed models from £28,518 to £117,000. It is provided by.
