Making Your Home Senior-friendly
Your loved one needs a safe environment in his/her daily living. Home modifications or fixtures and using assistive devices can help your loved one move about independently and comfortably, and be able to resume their normal activities as much as possible.
What is Home Modification?
Removing potential hazards prevents accidents from happening and reduces risks of falling. An occupational therapist can help to assess your home, identify potential safety hazards, and recommend improvements to the living environment.
There are also social service agencies and private organisations that provide home modification services. Use our E-Care Locator to get a list of these organisations.
Changes could range from simple adjustments to your home or lifestyle, to more complicated modifications such as the addition of fittings or structural changes to your home.
Simple Adjustments
- Addition of grab bars
- Use of non-slip mats or application of non-slip treatments on floors of wet and slippery areas, e.g. bathroom and toilet
- Removal of rugs and wires on the floor
- Moving switches to an accessible level
- Highlighting steps and stairs with fluorescent tape for better visibility at night
- Move your care recipient to a room on the ground floor (if you stay in a multi-storey house)
Complicated Modifications
- Widening of doorways for easy access into rooms, if your care recipient uses a wheelchair
- Installation of ramps
- Removal of walls
You can find a home safety checklist by Changi General Hospital here.
HDB’s Enhancement for Active Seniors (EASE) helps to make your home more senior-friendly.
Useful Links
- Dementia Care
- Building and Construction Authority myHome eServices
- Changi General Hospital: Make Your Home Safe
- SingHealth: Tips on Preventing Falls
- PatientsEngage Platform: Elder-friendly Homes
- Smart Home Modification for loved ones with disability
- Hack Care
Learn how to prevent falls at home and be equipped with assistive devices, which can help or improve your loved one’s mobility so that they are able to go about with their daily activities.
Learn More
Here are more tips to better care for your loved one.
Things to do with your loved ones if they are wheelchair-bound
