As our loved ones continue to age, it’s important that we do everything we can to take good care of them. Whether it’s doing a weekly grocery shop on their behalf or taking them to regular doctor’s visits, our older relatives may need a helping hand every now and then. If you’re looking to form the ideal senior care facility, there’s a plethora of things you need to keep in mind. As such, this article will list everything you need to know about creating a place for seniors.
8 Things to Consider When Creating a Senior Care Facility
1. Prioritize Accessibility
The older generation may struggle to get around sometimes, making it harder for them to complete their daily tasks independently. However, with the right resources and support, you can create a place for seniors that places accessibility and freedom at the forefront of everything it does. If you’re fortunate to have a large exterior on your property, it’s important that you make it easier for your residents to move around the complex. As a result, you may have to purchase a custom golf cart to help the inhabitants explore their new home as and when they please. These golf carts are incredibly diverse and are available in a range of different colors and styles, ensuring that you can purchase a range of quirky vehicles that blend in with the rest of your facility. J’s Golf Carts informs us that a standard golf cart can range anywhere from $6,000 to $18,000, making it a very costly investment for any senior care facility. However, these golf carts can be viewed as a unique asset for any care home, offering the residents a fun and off-beat way to explore their surroundings.
Just like any other home, if your senior care home facility is overly messy and unkempt, your residents will probably find it hard to move around safely and adequately. Although a little bit of mess is to be expected, if your building is in complete disarray, you risk offering your residents a poorer quality of life. Plus, excessive amounts of mess and trash can make your facility a tripping hazard, which could increase your chances of being shut down by your local health authority. Therefore, if you are eager to make your space clean and serene, consider looking into some local dumpster rental services. These companies usually offer a plethora of different dumpsters, allowing you to select the best option for a place for seniors. This service is also reasonably affordable, with Budget Dumpster stating that renting a dumpster can cost $217 to $1,040, with the national average sitting at $470. So, for just a few hundred dollars, you can conduct a comprehensive spring clean and get your care home facility back to the way it should be.
2. Single-Story Living
Many elderly or disabled people struggle to climb a lot of stairs, meaning that they are best suited to single-story buildings. Not only do these properties offer a more accessible landscape, they are usually open-plan, meaning that the inhabitants can move from room to room without any hassle. But, with any adapted living situation, it’s important that these areas are also fitted with accessible furniture. These can include adjustable chairs, beds with handrails attached to the sides, and wheelchair-accessible bathrooms. Since these items are quite niche, they can usually only be purchased online or at a custom furniture store. Though some of these pieces can be quite expensive, the majority of the items are quite affordable. Angi notes that it costs $732-$8,108 to make your home wheelchair-accessible, meaning that depending on your budget, you can make a place for seniors without having to break the bank.
3. Adaptable Spaces
Alongside making your facility disability-accessible, you may be required to adapt certain spaces to make them more appropriate for your inhabitants. Even though a lot of your residents will be physically disabled, there may also be a few people who have other hidden disabilities such as blindness, deafness, or cognitive delays. In turn, it’s vital that you work to build a place for seniors that also works to support those without physical ailments. For example, you may benefit from adding braille labels to certain products or purchasing lightweight appliances for those who don’t have much upper-body strength. These products can usually be purchased at a range of unique appliance dealers, making it easier for you to create adaptable spaces whilst still working to create an attractive environment. Some of these items can be quite costly as they are often produced to help a very niche audience, but for many people, they are a lifeline for a more active and independent life. Blind in Mind explains that a set of braille measuring cups can cost $9.95, making them a pretty costly investment for most senior care facility owners.
4. Wide Hallways and Doorways
With the advent of mobility scooters and lightweight wheelchairs, many elderly citizens are able to get around safely without having to depend on other relatives or transport services. As such, you should also consider implementing a series of extended hallways and doorways to ensure that these inhabitants can travel down long corridors without worrying about taking up too much space. In addition to these walkways, you should also offer a secure space for residents to store their wheelchairs and scooters. If your building already owns a vast garage, it’s imperative that you keep this space in good condition so that it can be transformed into a useful asset in a place for seniors. Garages often require a ton of maintenance, so be prepared to pay over the top for garage door installation and repairs. Forbes explains that a standard garage door installation typically costs $1,200, which includes labor costs. Therefore, although this expense may seem overly exuberant for some owners, it can ensure that your residents’ mobility devices are kept safe and sound, meaning that you won’t have to replace them in the future.
5. Senior-Friendly Bathrooms
When designing a place for seniors, it’s vital that you create an establishment that allows these residents to live safe and healthy lives. As such, you should focus a lot of your attention and budget on creating accessible bathrooms that also promote a keen sense of privacy. Thus, consider implementing a selection of shower chairs and disabled toilet locks so that your inhabitants can enter and exit the bathroom without having to rely on carers for additional help. If you’re looking to create a deeply affluent senior care facility, try reaching out to a range of hot tub companies for some extra advice and guidance. Hot tubs are not only used for rest and relaxation, they are also linked to an array of benefits. Spending time in a hot tub on a frequent basis can improve circulation, better sleep, and lower blood pressure, making it the perfect environment for those who are looking to refine their health and well-being. Hot tubs come in a variety of different shapes and sizes, meaning that they can vary in price greatly. But, This Old House notes that hot tubs can cost a minimum of $2,000, yet can reach prices of up to $35,000. Therefore, owners have a lot of diversity and versatility regardless of their budget.
6. Ample Natural Lighting
There’s nothing better than feeling the warmth of the blazing sun on your face, so it’s important that you allow for a range of natural light sources when producing a place for citizens. Not to mention, frequent exposure to sunlight offers a range of positive health effects such as an increased immune response. Sunlight emits an essential substance called vitamin D, which is one of the main components of a healthy immune system, ensuring that your residents can successfully recover from a range of ailments such as the flu and the common cold. However, your residents also deserve a good night’s sleep and don’t want to be distracted by the roaring sun when trying to get some shut-eye. Thus, to combat this issue, get in touch with a range of blind installation services so that you can discuss the prospect of blackout blinds. These shades are designed to block out any external light, creating a soothing sense of darkness within your bedroom. According to Affordable Blinds, these blinds can cost around $35-$230 per window, making it easier than ever to allow your residents to choose between the glorious sunshine or the peaceful darkness of the night.
7. Smart Home Technology
Just because you’re working to produce a place for seniors doesn’t mean that you can’t make use of some high-end technology. Smart home technology allows inhabitants to control a selection of external aspects via a series of simple voice commands. As such, your residents now have the chance to control the lighting and temperature without having to move out of their armchairs. Depending on your vehicle, you can also use smart home technology to control certain elements of your car like the AC unit or the radio. Thus, you may benefit from looking into some auto AC repair services so that you can use these features to their fullest potential. Consumer Affairs explains that the average auto AC repair costs $430-$521, making this an affordable investment for both your vehicle and your senior care facility. Therefore, you can now turn up the heating in your car before any of your residents even leave the building, helping to make your life just a little bit easier every day.
8. Emergency Preparedness
When working alongside a selection of vulnerable adults, it’s imperative that you are prepared for any eventuality. Whether a resident falls over or if a fire breaks out, you and your staff need to know what to do in order to keep everyone safe and calm. Though this can sound like too much to handle, there is an abundance of services available to ensure that you have everything under control. For example, a local elderly care service can help you better manage your residents’ medication or provide them with a sense of companionship during the holiday period. As such, these services can help to protect your inhabitants’ mental and physical health, ensuring that they can continue to thrive in a place for seniors. Plus, these services also focus on personal care and emergency medical care, meaning that your residents can receive the right type of support whenever they need it, working to extend their lives for many years to come.
You must also focus on creating a risk-free atmosphere within a place for seniors, particularly in outdoor areas where the threats can be a lot more severe and frequent. For example, if your exterior is lined with looming trees, you must ensure that they are maintained and groomed on a regular basis. This will not only help your garden to seem more appealing and inviting to your residents, but also ensure that they are protected against falling branches or large quantities of debris. However, if these trees are especially overgrown and are becoming more of a nuisance than a benefit, it’s best to get in touch with a tree cutting service as soon as possible. These services will supply you with a trained contractor who will help to eliminate any dangerous trees and work to clean up any mess that is left behind. Lawn Love highlights that this service can cost anywhere between $385 to $1,070 and the national average is around $850. In turn, this is an essential service for those who are looking to create a place for seniors that focuses on protecting their health and safety throughout their stay in the facility.
Senior care facilities are becoming more and more prominent, making them a key part of our modern society. However, since these establishments are so popular, they often require a selection of elevated services and resources to ensure that they can effectively take care of their residents. Yet, once these features are in place, your facility is bound to be a success. Therefore, consider using some of the tips and tricks listed in this piece when building a place for seniors.