6 Ways to Create a Safer, More Accessible Home for the Holidays

The holiday season is a time for gathering in your home and celebrating with loved ones. It’s important to ensure your home is safe for all your visitors, especially aging parents or relatives who need a little extra help getting around. You don’t need to invest in a complete home remodel to make your space more accessible. By implementing our suggestions, you can make your home more inviting and easier to navigate for family and friends with disabilities, age-related limitations or chronic illnesses.

1. Rearrange your furniture

You may love the layout of your family room, but certain furniture arrangements can constrict space and block walkways for family members who rely on walkers, scooters or other mobility devices. Make sure your living areas are spacious enough by removing extra furniture — like magazine racks and footstools — and rearranging with an open floor plan in mind.

2. Install a stair lift

Navigating staircases can be intimidating for your loved ones who fear falling, have weak or stiff joints, or lack the energy necessary to climb up and down the stairs. This becomes especially important if your guest room or extra living quarters are not on the main floor. By installing a stairway lift, you can make every inch of your home accessible and ensure your loved ones with limited mobility don’t miss out on a single moment.

3. Be mindful when decorating

Seasonal decorations may look nice, but they can also compromise accessibility. Porch steps and landings that are blocked by pots and snowmen, doors covered with large wreaths, and railings wrapped in greenery are incredibly difficult to navigate if you have poor balance, low vision or difficulty walking. Decorate in a way that leaves pathways free of obstructions.

4. Contain the clutter

Extra guests mean extra pairs of shoes by the front door, coats and jackets scattered throughout the home, purses on the ground and more. Create a designed space for your loved ones’ items, like a coat closet or large basket, so clutter is out of the way and does not become a tripping hazard for those with limited mobility.

5. Buy a lift chair

For those who struggle to get in and out of chairs, especially when they prefer to spend their days sitting by the tv or the fireplace, investing in a lift chair is a great way to make their relaxation experience more enjoyable and comfortable. Lift chairs also come with extra features like infinite positioning, therapeutic heat and massage, and more to promote the release of muscle tension and joint pain.

6. Provide adequate lighting

Candles and mood lighting can enhance the holiday spirit, but they also cause shadows and dark areas that compromise vision and create tripping hazards. Be sure that your home is well lit when celebrating. Also consider adding night lights in hallways to ensure all guests have a clear pathway to bathrooms and other areas of the home after dark.

Ready to invest in a stair lift or lift chair?

Locally owned and operated across three generations since 1971, Access Mobility understands the importance of family and we are committed to helping you keep yours together this holiday season and every day after.

If adding a stair lift or lift chair is next on your holiday to-do list, feel free to stop by our showroom to explore our available lift chair inventory or learn more about our stair lifts. We’re also proud to offer free in-home stair lift evaluations without any obligation and can complete installations on any type of staircase.

Let us help you make this holiday season safe and memorable. Reach out to our team to learn more about our accessibility and mobility options, or to schedule a free, in-home stair lift evaluation.