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02 March 2022
In our series on home adaptations, we’re looking at ways to help make your home more accessible, from smaller changes through to larger scale remodels. Now it’s the turn of the living room (or lounge or family room, depending on how it’s known in your home). Living rooms are one of the hubs of any home, where people go to relax, watch TV, spend time with family or friends, so when it starts to become increasingly inaccessible it can have a big impact on your daily life.
To help you improve the accessibility of your living room we’ve put together advice and suggestions for you to consider, alongside tips from our in-house Occupational Therapist, Sharon.
Modern TV remotes often have a myriad of tiny buttons, which can make them difficult to use if your motor skills or eyesight isn’t what it once was. They can also be overwhelming for those with conditions like Alzheimer’s Disease or dementia. Luckily, there are universal TV remotes to help with this. These remotes have simplified controls and much larger buttons making them both easier to use and see.
If you’re finding it a struggle to get up out of your chair because it’s a little bit too low for you, then furniture raisers could help. As the name implies, these handy little aids raise the level of your furniture, so you have less distance to push yourself up or lower yourself down. Furniture raisers come in a variety of different types to fit different kinds of furniture, so be sure to check carefully that it’s right for your chair before purchasing.
Are you struggling to hear the TV without putting up the volume to levels that make others complain? You may benefit from a hearing amplifier. These are devices designed to boost the volume of the world around you, making it a little easier to hear what’s going on. You can get different types of hearing amplifier depending on your need. Some are over the ear headphones that connect to your TV like the Geemarc CL7400 Wireless TV Listener, so you can turn up the volume to a comfortable level for you that won’t disturb anyone else. Others, like the Bellman & Symfon Maxi Pro Personal Amplifier not only amplify the volume of your TV but can also be used to help amplify conversations.
Sitting or lying down in one position for prolonged periods of time can put a lot of pressure on your skin and underlying tissue. If you spend a lot of time in your living room sitting in one chair, then you may want to consider getting a pressure relief cushion. These cushions are specially designed to help spread the weight of your body, so everything isn’t just resting on specific pressure points, and can usually fit with your existing chair. There are a variety of different types of cushions available, depending on whether you’re at high, medium, or low pressure risk.
Difficulty standing up from your sofa or armchair? A rise and recline chair (sometimes known as a riser recliner) could help. Rise and recline chairs are specialist chairs designed to gently raise you from a seated to an almost standing position and vice-versa.
These chairs aren’t only useful for helping you rise either. If you spend a lot of time sitting down, you may find that your joints get stiff or that you’re at an increased risk of developing a pressure ulcer. Having a rise and recline chair means you can adjust your seating position every so often, taking some of the pressure off. Some of these chairs even have inbuilt pressure cushions to help further reduce your risk.
Shop all rise and recline chairs
A carpeted floor may feel soft underfoot, but it can make getting around difficult. Swapping it for a wooden floor can help to make it much easier to push wheeled mobility aids around the room. If you must use a carpet in the room, then a low pile carpet is usually better.
Consider the layout of your living room carefully. Do you need a coffee table, for example, or is it blocking your ability to get around it with a wheeled mobility aid? Perhaps sofas could be moved, or items of furniture removed completely to create larger walkways around the room.
Do you need more tips and advice on other adaptations you can make to other rooms in your home? Download our full guide to home adaptations here or choose the room you need help with below:
Not sure where to start with adapting your home to meet your needs? Try our Home Living Consultation Service where a registered Occupational Therapist will assess your needs and offer recommendations for changes you can make.
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