A home should be a place of comfort, but this could change as you age. There are a number of things that need to be considered to ensure that your home is a retirement haven. Some of these suggestions are more practical while others focus on comfort.
Redesigning Your Home
One thing a person retiring may need to consider is the overall design of his or her home. Many areas of the house could be changed to ensure that you are comfortable. You might want to remove some walls in the house.
This will create an open space and also give you more wiggle room to move around your home. An elderly person might have a hard time walking around walls, which can be eliminated with this simple redesign.
Another thing you might want to do is place the master bedroom downstairs instead of upstairs. Stairs are a killer for people dealing with certain joint or muscular issues.
Be sure to place the bedroom far away from noisy locations like the laundry room or kitchen. You might also want to stay away from the air conditioner or furnace. All these sounds might make it hard for you to sleep soundly.
It might be a good idea to make doors a little larger to ensure that you can get through them easily, even if you use a wheelchair at some point in your life.
Automatic Comfort
As your body ages, it may start to have trouble regulating temperature, meaning that a home can become uncomfortable even with an air conditioner.
There are a number of things that can be done to ensure that a home is always cozy. For one, the air conditioner can be automated so the temperature in each room can controlled at the touch of a button.
An automated air conditioner or smart conditioner can also be programmed beforehand so that you do not have to adjust it constantly.
An air conditioner may be the right choice to keep you cool, but you will want to make sure you have a good system to keep you warm.
A furnace is a must, but you might also consider a gas fireplace, or even heated floors to keep you cozy in luxurious fashion.
A Swimming Pool & Jacuzzi for Health
You might find this hard to believe, but scientists have found that swimming is quite beneficial for older adults.
It seems that swimming works on the core muscles of the body, which is incredibly important for aging men or women since muscles naturally weaken as you grow older.
Swimming seems to help ensure that coordination and balance is improved at the same time. This is one great reason why you should install a custom swimming pool, but it is not the only reason.
You might also consider adding a hot tub or spa to your property. The heat from a hot tub can help to ease aches and pains and relax your muscles.
Some say that a spa can also help you to fall asleep by increasing levels of naturally occurring melatonin. This is the neurotransmitter associated with drowsiness and deep sleep.
The relaxation can be very helpful to those who start to have problems sleeping as they age. Many hot tubs also have water jets, which add even more relaxation potential.
These water jets help massage the body when muscles are sore, but they also help increase blood circulation as the skin and muscles are stimulated. This ensures a strong blood flow within the body, which is great for your overall health.
Of course, these are just some ideas to make your home a retirement haven. There is more that you can do.
The most important thing to do is to consider what you want during your golden years. Make sure you consider comfort and resolve possible issues that may make it harder for you to live like you want.