Perhaps your sister or brother has recently had an operation and needs to use a wheelchair on a temporary basis until they’re entirely recovered? Or maybe your elderly parent has recently had a fall, or now needs to permanently use a wheelchair?

Regardless of your reasons, continue reading to learn of some of the most important changes to make to your home to accommodate loved ones who use a wheelchair.

Bathroom Additions 

First and foremost, the bathroom is one of the spaces within your home which requires the most attention in order for your loved one to use the bathroom safely each and every time.

Fortunately, there are a multitude of bathroom mobility aids available on the market, most of which are relatively quick and easy to install, including grab rails either side of the bath, assistance poles, and even a powered bath lift.

Furthermore, it may well be necessary for you to widen the doorways, with a rough guide that should suit the majority of wheelchairs being around forty-five inches wide. A wider bathroom doorway will provide your loved one with increased levels of independence, as well as making their morning routine considerably more enjoyable and simpler, too.

Flooring

One of the most important practical considerations when you’re looking to make changes to the home to increase overall accessibility is concerned with the floor covering.

Not only should you ensure that there’s more than enough space to manoeuvre outside the doors of each room, but if your loved one is going to be staying with you, you may want to make a more drastic change.

It’s far easier for people using a wheelchair to move around the house when the flooring is made from natural stone tiles, and if you’re interested in upgrading your hallway to a durable, strong, and low maintenance Quorn Stone floor, make sure you contact a reputable and established manufacturer.

In addition, ensure that you and the rest of the household keep the walkways and doorways tidy and free of toys, slippers, and other clutter, all of which could pose an issue for someone in a wheelchair.

The Bedroom

If your loved one will be regularly staying over, or else will soon be living with you and the rest of your family on a more permanent basis, then you’ll also need to look into making small changes to the bedroom they’ll be sleeping in.

Crucially, you need to make sure that the mattress isn’t too high so they’re unable to easily transfer themselves from the wheelchair to the bed, and as an approximate guide, you should purchase a new mattress no taller than twenty-one inches.

Other key changes to the bedroom space could include shorter and wider drawers, lower mirrors, and clothing storage options that allow your loved one to access their belongings without having to constantly strain upwards. You could also make use of modern technology, such as a touch lamp rather than having to operate the fitting from the plug socket.