If you plan on having a senior relative move into your home or are considering remaining in your present home as you age, you undoubtedly are seeking effective ways to remodel your home with senior safety in mind. Fortunately, there are many ways to make your current home as safe as possible for seniors or others who may experience mobility issues. Here's how you can make your floor areas and bathrooms as safe as possible from slips and falls.

Nonslip Flooring

Slips and falls are one of the major causes of injury among senior citizens, so installing nonslip flooring should definitely be a priority in homes that are being remodeling for senior living. Nonslip flooring options include:

• Thick carpeting. It's soft, warm, and has the added benefit of acting as an insulator, thus keeping household heating costs down. This is a great option for living rooms, bedrooms, and hallways.
• Vinyl. Easy-care vinyl is almost impossible to damage, easily withstanding stains and water damage. It's slip-poof, too.
• Cork Flooring. It's soft, easily cleaned, and provides natural traction. It's a favorite flooring material for kitchens because its resilient properties create cushioning.
• Linoleum. It's easy to clean and difficult to slip on!

Flooring to be avoided in homes designed for comfortable and safe senior living include hard materials such as ceramic tiles, natural stone, and brick.

Bathroom Safety Essentials

Remodeling bathrooms with safety in mind should also be a priority when designing a safe senior living space. Almost 200,000 citizens seek emergency room treatment due to bathroom mishaps every year. Here's how to keep yourself or a loved one from being among them:

As in other parts of the home, choose the type of nonslip flooring surface that best fits the use of the particular room in which it will be installed. Thick carpeting doesn't work in bathrooms, but cork flooring is ideal!

• Rubber nonslip mats should be used both outside and inside the shower or tub.
• Low toilet heights can cause difficulty in standing -- using a raised toilet seat can help prevent falls.
• Nonslip strips. Many people place their hands on the edges of the sink to maintain balance, and this practice often results in slips and consequent falls. Nonslip adhesive strips can provide protection from this type of occurrence.
• Grab bars. These should be installed on both sides of the toilet for an extra measure of safety.

There are many other ways of enhancing household safety, so be sure to ask your local home renovation expert, such as M L W Contracting Ltd Edmonton, for customized advice concerning your specific situation.