Photo Courtesy: k4dordy

We’re living in special times because there are more people reaching old age than ever before. Compared to how many reached old age in the past, it’s a considerable difference. If you’re slowly getting older then congratulations, but there are a few things you need to think about. Once you start feeling your age, there is a good chance you might have to move into a care home because there is no way you can continue living alone when you can’t look after yourself.

Even if you have to move in with family, it’s not the same as living by yourself. Luckily, there is a way you might be able to keep your independence for longer. The reason it’s hard to look after yourself is because of the way your home is set-up, but if it was set-up differently it would make things a lot easier and day-to-day life would be great. If you want to stay independent for longer then look at some things you might want to think about in the future.

1. Add a Chairlift

These stairs have a chair now that lifts the elderly resident up to the second floor.
Photo Courtesy: Kat Sniffen

You will need a way to get upstairs and you can’t rely on your legs carrying you up there forever. It’s far too dangerous anyway because if you were to fall you could cause yourself serious damage. If you have the money, it would be a very good idea to buy a chairlift. It means you could sit on it whenever you wanted to go upstairs and you could press a button to take you up. If you don’t have one you might not be able to use half of your home.

2. A Downstairs Bedroom

Sitting room on the ground floor for elderly single women, now converted to a lovely B&B. Photo Courtesy: Eunice

You will need to use your bedroom every day unless you plan on sleeping on the couch, so instead of having to make it upstairs you could just set up a bedroom downstairs. Once you are ready to go to bed at night it’s a lot easier and safer if you only need to walk into the next room.

Also, because you use your toilet multiple times per day, you should also have one built downstairs if there isn’t one there already.

3. Suitable Heating

When it gets cold in winter you want to make sure you’re as warm as possible. Lots of elderly people are affected by the cold each winter and if you don’t want it to happen to you there must be adequate heating. You don’t want an open fire because if anything was to happen, you might not be able to get out of the house quick enough. Have your central heating checked regularly to make sure it’s in good condition.

4. Keep Things Low

Frame Home, Smith Family Farm, Manchester, New York – The Smiths’ oldest son, Alvin, planned the construction of this handsome New England-style farmhouse to provide for his future family and to care for his parents in their elderly years.
Photo Courtesy: Ken Lund

As your body gets older you’re not able to jump onto chairs to reach something from the top shelf anymore. If you did there is a big chance of injury and you don’t want to break anything because you’ll end up in hospital. The only solution is to keep everything as low as possible and you won’t even need to reach up high. You could maybe have your cabinets lowered so everything is easy to grab and you still have places to keep everything.

5. Lots of railings

Photo Courtesy: Olivier Bacquet

When you are trying to walk around it helps if you have something to hold onto. You will definitely need something to help you up the front steps if you don’t have a ramp. Even walking around your home might be challenging, so having railings around the place will give you a chance to get some rest as you move between rooms. They can even help you to lift yourself up if you accidentally fall onto the floor, but you should have a buzzer near ground level anyway just in case.

Colin Graham is the owner of Heat Exchangers. He is a happy go lucky person and likes blogging about various issues related to home improvement. While there are many heat exchanger firms in WA but he stresses on the fact that nobody provides better crack detection service than his firm.

Be proactive and transform your house into a home to relax in – Photo Courtesy: CMA Plastering of Australia

Do you find yourself coming home from work and no longer feeling the excitement you used to? Maybe you’ve become accustomed to those same four walls, the leaky faucet that never seems to get fixed and the curtains that clash with everything else in your bedroom. No matter how busy you may be, there are ways to get around to crossing items off the never-ending to-do list, known as life.

Time Restraints Don’t Have to Hold You Back

Fix that leaking Faucet pronto! Photo Courtesy: Alli

You may work a minimum of 5 days a week, find yourself constantly saying ‘yes’ to overtime and only have the vaguest idea what the definition of a ‘weekend’ is, but that doesn’t mean you can’t create a home that you’re enthused to return to. It’s so easy to get caught up in all the daily tasks and find yourself putting off some of the most important things: such as cleaning your room or getting that laundry done that’s been staring you down for over a week. However, when you take on bits and pieces at a time, you’d be surprised how quickly progress is made.

Fact 1 – Everyone loves clean clothes.
Fact 2 – No one loves to do laundry!
Photo Courtesy: Bokeh Burger

Sure, the last thing you may want to do right after dinner is grab the laundry out of the dryer and fold it, but doing so is going to mean not worrying about it later. The same goes for those bills staring you down on your counter. Filing them used to seem easy, but now you’re just too tired to get the job done. When you have a moment, even just 2, begin the project. Having a cleaner counter is going to put your mind at ease, and give you one less thing to have to worry, or feel guilty about.

Using Your Vacation Time for More than Vacation

Getting time off from work is always nice, and it can be so easy to fall into the ‘I’m not doing anything other than relax’ trap. While it may not seem like it in the beginning, using even just a small portion of your time off in order to fix that broken tile floor, repaint your walls or clean up your yard is going to make going back to work much easier.

Shoddy Tiles – not only they look bad but may also trip and injure someone!
Photo Courtesy: Randy A

What we mean is – no one wants to come home to a messy environment. If you make changes, even minor ones, excitement will begin to replace dread.

Procrastination Leads to More Stress

If you haven’t already noticed, once the cycle of procrastination begins, it can feel as though you’ll never get out. The number of phone calls you have to make, bills you have to pay, carpets you have to clean or dishes you have to wash aren’t going to mysteriously disappear on their own (although we wish they could!). Treat today as the fresh start that it is. Cut yourself slack for the days you didn’t do anything and make it a point to fit these little tasks into your work week. Start with a timeframe that makes you comfortable and do everything in your power to stick with it. Don’t you just love feeling accomplished?

Procrastinator’s Creed Poster Source: Elizabean

Today’s post can be attributed to James Anderson. He is the owner of CMA Plastering a firm which specializes in solid plastering in Melbourne. Apart from his professional commitments, he also likes blogging about various topics related to home improvement.

Home Improvement Project – Photo Courtesy: Roanoke College

We know you’re in a rush (most of us are these days) but unless you take your time, you may actually be wasting a lot of money on your home improvement projects. Not only could you probably be doing some of the work for a much lower cost than you may have realized, but some tasks may even be projects you can take on solo or with the help of a loved one. A professional is nice to have around, but one is not always required.

Planning is the Trickiest Part and Most Crucial

Planning beforehand is crucial – Photo Courtesy: Victor

It’s important to go at a steady, yet relaxed pace when approaching any project, especially those at home. Your home should be a place you like to spend your time, a place that you enjoy and are proud of. Improvements shouldn’t be something that one rushes into. Completing a job once is going to cost you plenty; no point in extending your budget by redoing something that could have been completed in one fell swoop.

If you’re not comfortable doing a project on your own, then make sure you are hiring someone trust worthy. If this individual is someone you know personally, take a look at their past work and experience and write up a contract if you feel necessary. This is going to ensure both parties are at an agreement. Within your written agreement, be sure to outline things such as payment scheduling, expected completion date(s) and anything else that may pertain to each specific task. While this often seems tricky to bring up to someone you care about, mention that it will protect both of you. Tough conversations are typically the best to have.

Hiring a Professional: What to Think About

After a careful decision is made in choosing a professional, things start to settle down for your home improvement project. Photo Courtesy: The Tax Haven

If choosing a professional is more up your alley, then before signing anything, read every word within the contract (yes, that means the dreaded fine print so many of us like to avoid). You want to verify that the said company (or person) is insured, in the event that there is an injury on the job. Even if the job seems ‘simple’, accidents can still happen. Accidents do not avoid those who have the most experience or best training. They can literally happen to anyone, at any time. If the said person doesn’t have insurance, but you want to hire them anyway, verify that your personal home insurance will cover anyone who is injured on your property.

Never settle for the first person or company that you find, either. Take your time in shopping around; reading customer reviews, calling companies directly and even checking whether that business is affiliated with the BBB. Typically, the most expensive aspect of any job is the installation or labor.

Shopping Made Simple: Internet Benefits

Use the Internet to your advantage – Photo Courtesy: Jason Walton

While comparing local ads, calling and visiting various local shops can help you find great deals, there is an easier way. The great thing about comparing prices on the internet is you don’t have to leave the comfort of your own home to do so. Whether you are babysitting, trying to relax after a long day at work or bedridden; you are able to shop at your convenience and many companies (including Amazon) offer delivery, which makes the deal even sweeter. Getting those pieces of additional plywood you meant to have picked up earlier in the week, or paint for some last-minute touch-ups can be rush delivered in many cases. Oftentimes there are also special discounts that are only available to shoppers on the web.

Todd Benson is an independant businessman and runs a small business selling matboards in wholesale. He specializes in making custom made matboards to suit your requirements.