Accessibility of your home

When given the choice between assisted living and remaining in their own home, most people would rather stay in their house if there were to become disabled or need elder care. The simple reason is that your home provides a sense of security, comfort, and peace of mind. When faced with a change in lifestyle, improvements can be made to most houses so you can continue to enjoy the comforts of being in your own home.

Here are a few alterations you should consider installing:

• Hand rails along the walls
• Grab bars in the bathrooms around the commode and in the shower
• Lowered sinks with access underneath to accommodate a wheelchair
• Wheelchair accessible counters in the bathroom and kitchen
• Handicap accessible counters in the bathroom and kitchen
• Adjusted switches and plugs to match height level of a wheelchair

There are many resources you can review to help make your house more livable based on your specific lifestyle change. A good place to start is the Universal Design Living Laboratory website.

Feeling secure in your home becomes more important when you are disabled or need elder care. Install a centrally monitored fire and burglar alarm system. There are features that can be added to your existing alarm system such as a wearable lanyards that allow you to contact a dispatcher should you require aid and a panic button which will summon aid once activated. Your alarm company can help design the best system to match your unique needs.

Just because your lifestyle has changed does not mean that you have to give up living in the house that you worked so hard for. By working with the right accessibility designers, caregivers and other related professionals you can remain in the comfort of your own home.

We offer this information to assist you in making decisions that can help mitigate your risk. While we can not address every possible scenario or guarantee these tips will work for you, our goal is to support your efforts to protect yourself and your family. For more information, please visit www.nationwide.com/privateclient.