When you’re buying a home while caring for disabled loved ones, there are a lot of factors to be considered in where you’re going to live. You’ll want to find a home that requires the least amount of modifications to make it safe for your entire family. If this is your first experience with this situation, helpful tips can be found below on what to look for in a new house with disabled family members.
Special Locks
A few disabilities, such as dementia, cause loved ones to forget where they are and to have a desire to leave the house at all hours of the night. This can result in injuries, damages, and mental and emotional stress. If you want to keep your mentally disabled loved ones safely inside of your home at night, look for a house that is equipped with keyless locks. Keyless locks are double-sided mechanical locks that can be opened using a numerical combination. More importantly, make sure that if a home doesn’t have these installed that the layout of the home is compatible with installing a system of keyless locks that would effectively keep your loved one from wandering off. If there are large windows that can easily be opened on the first floor, that would completely override the locking system and be a major liability.
Stairs
For your loved ones who suffer from a physical disability, stairs can be a very large obstacle in their daily lives. While you may be able to make it so that everything they need is upstairs, having a whole floor of the house that they can’t access may make them feel restricted and even isolated should the rest of the family be on that other floor without them. When looking at single-family homes for sale and your family member needs a wheelchair, be sure to check for the presence and necessity of stairs inside and outside the home. If there are stairs, see if there is any way to install a lift or a ramp. If the stairs in the house are too steep, then there would be no way for them to be easily replaced with a sloped surface.
Sensory-Friendly Rooms
Certain mental disabilities and disorders can cause a symptom known as sensory processing disorder. While this disorder is most commonly found in those on the autism spectrum, it can also be a symptom of people suffering from ADHD, anxiety, and behavioral disorders. Wall colors, carpet texture, the shape of a room, the amount of lighting, and the size of a room can all adversely or positively affect someone suffering from a sensory processing disorder. During your viewing of potential homes, pay close attention to these details and ensure that there’s at least one room in the home that would be suitable for the sensory processing needs of your disabled loved one to sleep in. Take your family member along and let them get a feel for the place. Florescent lighting should be avoided, as the flickering and buzzing that accompanies it can be very irritating to them. Also make sure that the lighting is evenly distributed and consider wall-mounted lights as opposed to a single source in the ceiling.
Maneuvering Space
Loved ones who required a wheelchair or an electric scooter for mobility will need wide hallways and generous corners for optimal maneuverability. While inspecting a home you wish to buy, take a measuring tape to measure the width of common walking areas to ensure they’re wide enough for your loved one’s mobility needs. Make sure that there is room for them and someone to pass by them at the same time. This can be helpful for any sort of mobility issue, and will make them feel free and at home in the new house.
Moving homes is difficult for anyone living with a disability, whether it be you or your family member with the special needs. Leaving a space of familiarity can cause a great deal of anxiety, and you want to make sure that the new house is able to suit their needs for a long time to come. Keep their physical and mental needs in mind when looking at a new house, and prioritize the needs that can’t be fixed with renovation over the things that can.