How to Organize a Bedroom for Seniors to Maximize Safety
Bedroom safety is critical for seniors choosing to age in place. How to organize a bedroom for seniors is about safety first and easy access to stored items second. A safe bedroom includes evaluating the bed, lighting, flooring, travel paths to the hallway or bathroom, and the ability to alert emergency services if needed. Keep mom safe with these techniques to arrange the bedroom for aging. Follow a clear plan for organizing bedroom closets and dressers to simplify the daily living routine.
Seniors choosing to age in place must set the bedroom up for success. Here are things to keep top of mind as a family caregiver that is assisting a loved one.
Organize Bedroom Closets & Dresser Storage
Accessing clothes and important personal belongings needs to be easy. Create a system in the bedroom to reduce the potential for fall risk. How do you do that? Never place regularly needed items in high places. Use a dresser for regularly worn clothes and maximize closet space for hanging items. The easier it is to find something the better. Part of organizing a bedroom is decluttering for seniors and downsizing the number of clothing items that are available for daily use. Consult with a professional organizer for seniors if you need assistance making the right decisions about what to keep and what to let go and where to put what.
A closet storage system may work well for your situation. Family caregivers can use upper levels of closet space to tuck away seldom-used items or bins of seasonal clothes. Pull the Winter bin during the cooler months and the Summer bin during the warmer parts of the year. This keeps the clothes in the bedroom but out of the way.
Small bedrooms are more difficult to keep organized over the long term. However, don’t let this drag you down, designers and organizers are focused on solutions for small rooms and you can implement their ideas. Under-the-bed bins are another excellent use of space to keep extra pairs of shoes or special items. A caregiver can retrieve and rotate things on an as-needed basis.
The Right Bed for Seniors
Everyone has their own preference for bed type. Too soft? Too Hard? That is something only you can decide. However, all seniors should have a bed that is set up at the appropriate height. The right bed height for elderly individuals is a bed that is between 20″ and 23″.
The reason for this height is itmakes getting in and out of the bed easy. Falls happen during transitions. Getting in and out of a bed is a transition that every person does in the home at least twice per day. As a result, falls from the bed or when trying to get into bed a very common and yet easy to avoid with the right bed height.
Bedroom Lighting
Proper lighting in the bedroom is key to reducing fall risk. Keep a light adjacent to the bed. Alternatively, keep a night light plugged in to offer at least limited light all the time during the night. Using timers is helpful to automatically turn off the main lamps in both the evening and turn them back on in the morning.
Keep Floors Clear of Tripping Hazards
Floors that are clear of obstructions improve movability and reduce fall risk. Keep all wires and cords tucked away. Area rugs should have nonslip rug pads to reduce movement or bunching. Use adhesive to secure rug corners if needed. Check the floor for soft spots or areas where the carpet padding has bunched up. Walk the likely paths from the bedroom to hallways and bathrooms looking for obstructions.
Access to Phone or Personal Emergency Response Device
If a fall occurs how will your loved one notify you or emergency responders that they need help? Placing a phone within reach of the floor is essential. Falling and breaking a hip results in a drastic reduction in movement. They may crawl and reach for a phone on a nightstand, but if that is too high it will not be possible. One strategy is to install a landline phone and literally place it on the ground next to the nightstand, but out of any walking paths.
Ultimately, the most secure solution is a personal emergency response device. An emergency response solution comes in several designs. A mobile version that is wearable. A wired box with an emergency button. And some type of combination that gives the senior a mobile button to wear and activate the system if needed.
Organize the Bedroom for Senior Safety
Don’t overcomplicate how to organize a bedroom for seniors. As long as safety is considered first the rest will fall in place. A clean bedroom is a safe one. Through the organization of clothes and belongings, a safe room is attainable. Keep lights maintained and periodically check for new hazards in the room. Add a communication layer to the bedroom through a phone or personal emergency response unit and the risks of a bad injury or worse happening in the bedroom are reduced significantly.
Downsize and rightsize the room for aging in place today by starting with small steps. Get all clothes picked up, and properly stored, and anything that is not going to be worn regularly or periodically due to the seasons needs to go. Give away and donate what is not used and streamline the bedroom for the senior and you as the family caregiver taking care of an elderly loved one. If struggling with where to start seeking out the advice of a pro that offers organizing services for seniors. They will know where to start first and how to best approach the tough conversations surrounding downsizing and aging in place with grace.