When designing your elderly loved one’s assisted living apartment, the two most important things to keep in mind are practicality and safety. But this doesn’t mean their apartment can’t look cozy and charming. Regardless of your age, everyone needs a beautiful space that reflects their personality and interests.
Here are some practical decorating tips for making an assisted living apartment feel a little more like home.
Prioritize designing for safety
Assisted living centers operate with safety in mind, from their communal areas to the individual rooms of the residents. The same principles should be applied when designing your loved ones’ living space. Avoid decorating with loose rugs, appliances with long cords, and furniture with sharp edges. Instead, opt for sturdy and round-edged furniture, lots of practical storage solutions, and free space. Don’t forget to leave room for any assisted living aids like a hoist for home use or a walker should your loved one need them.
Decorate with family photos
Even if your loved ones will be surrounded by people in an assisted living facility, it’s still normal for them to feel lonely from time to time. You can make their room feel more like home by decorating their walls with family photos and pictures of their favorite things.
Put up a mirror
Depending on the rules of the assisted living facility your loved one will be staying at, a mirror is a practical thing to add to their apartment. Not only is this a useful tool to have when getting ready, but it’s also something that will make their space feel more roomy and free. When placed near a window, it’s also able to reflect incoming sunlight which leaves the room feeling bright and open.
Keep away from busy patterns or dark colors
If your loved one has Alzheimer’s or dementia, it’s best to keep away from decorating their living space with loud patterns in order to not confuse or agitate them. Dark colors can also be incredibly disorientating for those with vision problems.
Decorate with plants
Fresh plants and flowers have healing and calming properties that improve mood and mental health. Replacing them when they get a little withered will also give your family another reason to visit your loved ones.
Set up a designated hobby area
Your loved ones’ new apartment is essentially a blank slate. Even if the facility they live in provides tons of opportunities to socialize with other residents and entertain themselves, it always helps to fill up their space with things they enjoy. If there’s enough space, you should designate a small area that’s dedicated to their hobbies and interests which could be anything from knitting to video games.
Provide lots of storage solutions
Excess clutter can be a falling hazard, particularly for elderly individuals. You can avoid this by providing lots of storage solutions for them to put away their belongings. Make sure that their most valuable items and the items that they use frequently are accessible and easy to reach so that they don’t have to tire themselves out when trying to get it.
Moving your elderly loved one to an assisted living facility can be incredibly intimidating for them. You can help them ease into their new lifestyle by decorating an apartment that feels a little more like home.
