Everybody gets old. Everybody gets hurt. Time and chance happen to us all, and these are unfortunate facts of life. Is old age, injury, or disability part of your planning? Can you keep going with essential work if you are hampered by physical limitations? As always, it is better to think ahead and be prepared than to be surprised by the unexpected.
I am used to thinking about physical limitations. My mother is a retired physician, and has bravely phased a physical disability for 35+ years. Both of my parents are getting older, and my own health and physical build has never been the best. As my work both professionally and at home involves tools and heavy equipment, I occasionally must deal with a work-related injury. When building my home and outdoor facilities, we were aware of present and future needs and limitations.
A primary concern is prevention of slips, trips, and falls. These are the number one cause of workplace injuries in the USA among all ages, and are especially concerning for older people and people with limitations. Outdoors, it is worth taking the time to fill in holes, smooth out uneven ground, and keep debris picked up. As my father has gotten older, knee pain has kept him from picking up his feet as much as he walks. To keep him safe, I make sure to mow the grass very, very short. Short grass keeps objects on the ground visible, rather than hidden, and it also prevents weeds from catching a foot and causing a fall. Got garden tools in the grass? Pick them up! Stones floated to the top of the soil over the winter? Remove them and put them in a pile. Fallen sticks and branches? Get them to the burn pile or the kindling box. My father is constantly reminding me to keep paths clear and leave walking room.
When installing new buildings, think about level. As much as possible, eliminate the need for steps. Any steps should be clearly marked. If possible, paint a bright stripe of yellow or orange at the edges of steps. Make sure that steps have a rough surface so that you do not fall if they are wet. At my parents’ home, there are a couple of concrete steps at the front door. The slick, smooth part of the concrete has been covered with a carpet for traction. The remainder of the concrete porch has a brushed finish. Always keep traction in mind, and in the winter make sure to have ice melt and sand available.
Even better than making steps safe is to have no steps at all. Where possible, make ramps. Either grade the ground to make a natural ramp, or construct one. Make sure that ramps are wide. This helps people on crutches, people using a wheelchair, and will be a great help if you must move large or bulky items. Anybody who lives a prepared lifestyle is used to large boxes, crates, and bulk supplies. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to use a dolly anywhere on your property? Not only are ramps a blessing for people with physical limitations, they are a big timesaver for anybody who is working in the area. If you have the opportunity, try to keep your home’s interior as flat and smooth as possible. It makes housework simpler, and also helps anybody on crutches or in a wheelchair to move around freely.
Back in 2019, I re-injured an ankle while doing some work on a fence. I spent 3 weeks using a cane and hopping around. I was glad that my home had a large open floorplan and smooth floors. When I got tired of hopping, I was able to comfortably slide from one side of the house to the other on an office-style rolling chair.
If you have the opportunity to design your own buildings at your retreat, make sure that you build big enough! Big doorways, big hallways, and open spaces where possible. Any thresholds should be as low and as smooth as possible, to prevent trip hazards and to allow wheels to go over them smoothly. At my home, doors are no less than 36 inches wide and hallways are around 48 inches wide. This width is enough for easy movement, but narrow enough to allow an injured person to brace themselves on the walls to enable hopping or to prevent falls.
Sometimes, I wish doorways were wider than 36 inches, although 36 inches has proven to be enough. If you are moving furniture or supplies in and out, narrow doorways are inconvenient and irritating. If you are on crutches or in a wheelchair, narrow doorways can make life nearly impossible. While you may be healthy, in a crisis you might have elderly relatives who need a place to live. Have you planned ahead for them? If you bought an existing home rather than built one, then look into retrofitting any doorways narrower than 36 inches. It is worth the labor and expense.
If you have the opportunity to build, think about smaller details such as hardware. In my home, I have discovered that old-fashioned round door knobs can be a pain. If you are carrying something, it is not always convenient to do a twisting motion to open the door. I also injured my wrist last fall, and I found out that a twisting motion with a bad wrist is extremely painful. This is especially important to consider at exterior doors, where heat and moisture can change how the door fits in the frame. Even a bit of binding or stickiness can double or triple the force needed to twist a doorknob. At my home, I have changed exterior door knobs to levers. It is easier when carrying something, and avoiding the twisting motion hurts less when you are injured or for elderly people with limited strength. Keep knobs and levers adjusted, lubricate them as well as hinges. Window locks should fit properly and be lubricated, and windows should slide easily in their tracks. Make sure that your home can be naturally ventilated through the windows, and that all members of your family are able to operate them easily.
The same considerations for doors and windows apply to interior fixtures such as sinks and bathtubs. Use levers instead of knobs. Check them, lubricate them, and maintain them regularly. Have some spare parts on hand, as aging parts can become stiff. To make changing and updating parts easier, make sure to use plumbing pipes and fixtures that screw together and are sealed with Teflon tape or pipe dope, rather than old-style brazed copper.
I prefer a traditional bathtub for its water-tightness. However, many people who are planning for injured or aging relatives choose to install a walk-in tub. If you have multiple bathrooms, you can have both a standard tub and a walk-in shower. Again, make sure spaces are built big enough. A major flaw I have found in many houses is bathrooms that are built too small. Impossible to use for wheelchairs or people with mobility issues, and also too cramped to do laundry by hand without using up every available inch. I believe it is better to have one very large bathroom than two small ones. Whatever you do, test out tubs, shower stalls, and toilets before you purchase and install them. Ask anybody who will be affected by your choice to participate in the process. Tub and toilet height can be major issues. Make sure that you install grab bars inside tubs and showers, and possibly next to toilets as well.
When I’ve had an injured leg in the past, I have been thankful for the grab bars in my shower that allowed me to maintain balance while standing on one leg only. It is also a good idea to have a shower seat in storage, and possibly a raised toilet seat with grab bars. These items are commonly sold for use by the elderly, and take minimal storage space. You may be glad that you have them.
One item you might not think about is light switches. Are they easy to reach from a sitting position? Are they visible? I have noticed that placing switches around four feet up from the floor seems to work best. Easy to reach for shorter family members such as children, or for people in a wheelchair. If you are building your home, you can install switches at any height you choose. If you have switches in an existing home at a suboptimal height, you can lower them. Place existing wires in a junction box, and add wire to a new switch box. Some people also prefer to change switches from the standard small American “toggle” style to a larger “rocker” style. Consider switches instead of rheostats where possible for durability, and buy American where possible. I have changed several switches and rheostats at my parents’ home in recent years, as the cheaper Chinese made parts from the hardware store do not seem to last. As they wear out, they become stiffer as well, which is inconvenient for people with limitations. Avoid fancy or novelty switches, and stick with plain-Jane components that are sturdy.
As a final thought – I insist on purchasing tools and labor-saving devices. Even though I am young enough to have energy, even the energy of the young is limited. Any tool that helps you save time and physical effort allows you to put that time and effort into something else. It is not a joke when I tell people that I have two lifetimes worth of work to do, and only half a lifetime to do it in. I love machines. Pumps, jacks, cranes, dollies…anything to save labor. Why lift a 150-pound generator by hand when a shop crane or a tractor can do the job for you? Why haul lumber a couple of pieces at a time when pallet forks on a tractor can lift a large bundle of them? Why split firewood by hand if you can get a log splitter? Look around you, and ask what you are doing the hard way that can be made easier. Work smarter, not harder, and plan ahead to save yourself time, pain, and the risk of injury.
Looking back at my process, I am thankful that I took my parents’ advice about accessibility, as these considerations not only help them feel comfortable in my home, but have helped me as well. Preparing your retreat for people with physical limitations does not have to be difficult or expensive, but it does take forethought. That should come easily to those who are preparedness-minded. It is a small investment that is guaranteed to pay off in the future.