Moving around your own home should feel like the most natural thing in the world, right? As you age, your physical needs can change. But many people are able to stay happily and comfortably at home. There are all kinds of modifications, tweaks and services that can help your daily life feel smooth and easy.

Improving the safety and accessibility of your home brings peace of mind to you and your loved ones. You might know your home like the back of your hand and feel perfectly safe now. But it's best to keep ahead of your needs.

Ask yourself: what would help now? What might I need in another year? Another five years? We can't plan for everything life throws at us, but you should try to have some of the more predictable home alterations put in place before they become urgent.

MMACG can provide one-off, occasional, or ongoing services to help you continue to move around your home as easily and safely as possible.

Keep these potential issues in mind for ageing empowered. We can design your home care package to suit your needs.

Trip and slip hazards

'Prevention is better than cure' has never been more true than in the case of accidental injury. Consider the possible trip hazards around your home:

• Steps and stairs
• Slight changes in floor level
• Garden paths
• Electrical cords
• Furniture placement
• Rugs and mats.

How safe are wet areas around your home? Think about:

• Showers and baths
• Floors in kitchen, bathroom, and laundry
• Outdoor paving that may become mossy and slippery.

Our expert staff will view your home with a trained eye, to spot potential hazards. We'll provide solutions such as ramps, grab rails, electrical work, and resurfacing. A regular schedule of maintenance, such as indoor tidying or cleaning garden paths, may be beneficial.

Kitchen safety

Many household accidents happen in the kitchen, to people of all ages. It's no wonder, with boiling liquids, flame, sharp objects, powerful appliances, glass and more. Throw in the challenges of ageing on our mobility, eyesight, strength, and balance, and you could be forgiven for just wanting takeaway every night.

Here are some of the things to consider in your kitchen:

• Can you safely reach everything you need?
• Are electrical appliances modern and well maintained?
• Can you safely lift things in and out of the oven, microwave, and other appliances?
• Do you have a fire blanket and extinguisher, and are they visible and easy to access?
• Can you safely handle heavy cooking and serving pots and dishes, or do you need lightweight replacements?

Our caring staff can help modify your kitchen and its contents, so you can safely enjoy cooking as much or as little as you wish.

Accessibility

Making your home more accessible to your physical needs might look like ramps and adaptations to allow the use of a walker or wheelchair. But it might also look like smaller things such as changing all your household taps to lever handles. (They're so easy to use and clean, you'll wonder why you didn't do it sooner.) Here are some of the things that could make your own home easier to move around in every day:

• Ramps and floor adaptations
• Grab rails in bathrooms and toilets
• Door and cupboard handle modifications
• Lever taps
• Repositioning of clotheslines and letterboxes
• Widening and improvement of paths.

Discuss your own specific needs with our staff, so your home can be adapted, as and when required.

Emergency alarms

Is your home fitted with properly working and compliant smoke alarms? It is the responsibility of all South Australian home owners and landlords to ensure every home is fitted with a working smoke alarm. Mains powered smoke alarms have backup batteries that need regular replacement, preferably once a year. This can be worked into a regular home maintenance schedule.

Personal alarm systems are a very popular aid for independent living. They let you call for help in an emergency, if you can't use the phone. Various types are available, including base stations in the home and pendants worn around the neck.

There are devices worn like watches that will raise an alarm if a fall is detected. Some will count your daily steps to encourage an active lifestyle. Your support worker can help you find and use the right device for your situation.

A safer home keeps you in control

Every step towards making your own home safer and more accessible will help you maintain your independence. Freedom, dignity, and the comforts of home can all be enhanced by easing your mobility and increasing your peace of mind.

Talk to MMACG about aged care services in Adelaide. Live happily, and safely, with a home care package.