There are many of us looking to stay where we live rather than moving into aged care for as long as possible.
What are the choices and is it worthwhile spending up on improvements to keep the home safe and usable for as long as possible?
I’m conscious some in government are keen to encourage downsizing. It’s also relevant as the home one needs to move to should meet all of the needs and offer all of the wants we might ask to stay put.
Have you also considered the needs in the bathroom and toilet for wheelchair accessibility?
Looking ahead, maximising independence may include a motorised wheel chair. These can require slightly more room to move around and manoeuvre than some homes provide. Bathrooms and toilets can be reconfigured in many instances to open plan. Doorways and narrow corridors are not so easy to change.
It’s worth seeking further information, if not already on the todo list before making any major financial decisions. On our list is ambulance stretcher access. The professionals have ways of dealing with most scenarios. However it can cause considerable delay while waiting for these and the extra help to arrive. Consider for a semi conscious patient, or someone with a major fracture, EG Hip, they will ideally need to bring a stretcher on wheels to the patient. We know our easy to access side ramp looks perfect, but is poorly aligned preventing access to the verandah and every room in the home. It’s possible some could consider reconfiguring a ground floor room to bedroom plus full ensuite if in a two story home, as an alternative.
@mark_m your response motivated me to look up the Livable Housing Design
Guidelines https://livablehousingaustralia.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/SLLHA_GuidelinesJuly2017FINAL4.pdf for reference if/when we build, renovate or downsize.
The document is a little technical but if you’re having work done it provides good design guidance. It’s based on seven core design features elements:
A safe continuous and step free path of travel from the street entrance and / or parking area to a dwelling entrance that is level.
Internal doors and corridors that facilitate comfortable and unimpeded movement between spaces.
A toilet on the ground (or entry) level that provides easy access.
A bathroom that contains a hobless shower recess.
Reinforced walls around the toilet, shower and bath to support the safe installation of grabrails at a later date.
Stairways designed to reduce the likelihood of injury and also enable future adaptation.
At least one, level (step-free) entrance into the dwelling
Our newest home has been planned to provide easier access for wheelchairs. Hallways and doorways are all 900mm or more wide. It is a lowest house with the back door a triple sliding door that opens to 2.5 metres. Front door access is 950 mm.
Bathrooms and toilets all have 20 mm panelling for strength for support bar installation.
Doing all the accessibility changes added very little to the build cost, a little extra cost well spent.
Many older houses have more narrow doorways and passages, these make it very difficult to manoeuvre wheelchairs and similar mobility aids around. It would be a very expensive refit to widen the passages and doors in older homes to accommodate the anticipated usage.
I’m 70 next birthday and live in a Melbourne Docklands high rise apartment. Unless I get to be seriously incapacitated it will be a great place to live as I age - no steps, big shower (will take a plastic chair: tested this when a bike accident put me on crutches ten years ago), and crucially I have everything I need within a very short walk - having to give up driving would be sad but life would go on largely unchanged.
Our timber frame war service home was built in 1959/60. Layout is very awkward, if the front door is open access to and from the main bedroom is difficult. Getting large items into the house, king size mattress, recliner couch etc has required much manoeuvring, it would be very difficult to get an ambulance bed in and out the front door, back door isn’t an option either. We could think about having a screen/support on the front porch changed, that may make access easier.
Husband had a hip replacement in 2016, the existing support bars in the toilet and shower from the previous owner were very useful, he just needed a toilet riser. The toilet is original, not even dual flush, replacing that with a higher one is on the list.
The bathroom door is narrower than any other door in the house? Wouldn’t get a normal wheelchair through. And basin reduces access to shower alcove. Just not in our budget to do a bathroom makeover.
Recent surgery has incapacitated me unexpectedly. Normally a very active gardener, suddenly struggling even to hand water pots. So needing to rethink intensity of garden. Partner due to have heart procedure late March, if that not successful, will have to seriously reduce garden intensity. Collector of unusual native and succulent plants. Only mid 60’s, partner early 70’s, wanting to stay here. Flat block, walking distance to all facilities.
It’s challenging with any older home given the issues listed. We’ve recent experiences with family intending to stay put for as long as possible. Very similar issues for the home (war service 50’s fibro) until aged care became the only option. Unfortunately the condition of the home at the time may have contributed to the outcome. It was impractical to remedy all that was required in a timely manner. All the support and assistance schemes/packages appear after the event. Arguably too late to be of any value if the home also needs major work.
It may be worth considering making major changes EG bathroom and accessibility sooner rather than hoping they are not needed. The work done early can have an unexpected immediate benefit in also reducing the risks of falls, trips etc while one is more able.
Have you sought help from the Department of Health and Aged Care? You can be assessed for free assistance. If not, ask your GP to request an ACAT team to come our and assess the two of you.
If you are assessed as needing assistance, due to the shortage of funds, you will be placed in a queue and will have to wait for a place at the top of the queue to become available. On the plus side, it is better than doing nothing.
Not quite old enough yet. Age pension for me in May. Partner is on it now.
