OverSixty April 2023 Digital

ISSUE 4 | APRIL 2023 | OVERSIXTY.COM.AU 18 DOWNSIZING Access all areas Invest in your future and make your home accessible Have you considered these crucial factors? Questions to ask beforemoving into a granny!at • SHOWERS are much easier to use than baths, especially fashionable ‘wet room’ styles with no barriers at the %oor level. Add a sitting bench that can double as a low shelf and either no door or an extra-wide door. • LOWER WARDROBE RAILS both double your storage space for hanging garments and make it easier to reach froma seatedposition. Drawers instead of shelves help, too. • TRANSITION POINTS make coming and going easier. Add a bench or shelf by front and back doors, inside and out, where you can put your bag down and use both hands to open the door, or sit to remove shoes. For peoplewho frequently lose things, the indoor ones are also handy to store everyday items. Major works When it comes time for a new build or a signi!cant renovation, you can put all these ideas into practice, but it’s also an opportunity to look at the whole house. Keeping everything on one level, including the entrance, is ideal. Where that’s not possible, zone your major living areas all on the ground %oor and keep the top level for guest rooms, storage and other lower-use needs, and consider lifts or stair lifts. Look at the plans early on and make sure there are regular wide spaces. Wheelchairs, walkers and prams require at least a 1.5m DONYALE HARRISON DOWNSIZING W hether you’re thinking about build- ing a granny %at, or deciding wheth- er you’re going to stay in your own home, modify it or rebuild, accessibility around the house should be a key consideration. Even if everyone in your household is currently able-bodied, chances are your home will one day contain someone on crutches or with limited hand strength. All the design details that are necessary for the four million Australians living with disa- bility are helpful for the injured and conven- ient for all."ey’ll also help you stay comfort- ably in your home as you age. Accessible design also makes econom- ic sense. "e same elements cater for older people, disabled access, young parents with prams, and active families with bikes and scooters. So, if you plan to sell, you’ll mark- edly increase your potential market. Australian standards have been calling for all new homes to be accessible for wheel- chairs since 1995 (AS 4299-1995). However, meeting the full standard isn’t compulsory, and the standard emphasises adaptability over accessibility. While too few homes are fully accessible, there aremany ways you can improve things, from basic !xes to serious revamps. Easy options "e following improvements are relatively cheap, quick ways to make life easier. • LEVER HANDLES require less strength and dexterity than knobs and are available in models to suit all purposes. Replacing a knob with a lever is a half-hour job, but make sure you know the distance from the edge of the door to the centre of the doorknob opening (backset measurement) so you can match it on the new handle. Some lever handles are reversible and some are designed for installing on the left or right side of a door. • MIXER TAPS with lever handles are also easy to use. Protect young and old hands with temperature-limiting technology that prevents the tap being turned above a safe heat. Youmayneedaplumber to install these, but the expense is paid o$ in convenience. • GRAB RAILS positioned near the bath or on walls beside short %ights of steps help DANIELLE MCCARTHY DOWNSIZING If managed correctly, a granny %at arrange- ment can turn into a win-win scenario for turning circle. Add space in areas it will be needed, such as bathrooms and the kitchen. • CHECK YOUR DETAILS . Look for non- slip tiles, especially in the bathroom. Posi- tion power points and light switches at levels people can reach – you may need to raise them if bending is an issue. Lighting can also help avoid trips, especially near stairs and changes of %oor surface. Consider installing motion-sensor edge lighting here. • THE GARDEN is just as important. Wide ramps and slopes are perfect for prams, as well as walkers and wheelchairs. Make sure the incline is less than the Building Code of Australia mandated 1:14 gradient and paths are at least a metre wide. • GOODPAVING makes it easy to wheel over a path, and is safer for walking in heels, too. • MOTION$SENSOR LIGHTING along gar- den paths and entertainment areas will help combat trip hazards at night, while raised beds or tall pots mean you don’t need to bend or squat to garden. As a !nal touch, add easy-opening, self-closing gates. keep you stable. "ey come in a range of lengths, including ones that can be folded in or out as needed. If you’re renting or just need a temporary bar, there are also suction models that can be installed in seconds. • RAIL SHOWERS are ideal for people with mobility problems who may have di#culty standing in the shower. "e long hose lets you direct water and they generally come with grab rails. "ey screw into standard !ttings somost can beDIYedwith little e$ort. • SURFACE GRIP can be added to tiles and concrete %oors with a liquid resurfacer. "is adds invisible layers of ‘grittiness’ to help keep your balance, and is as easy to apply as mopping. • ACCESS AIDS including shower seats, bathtub steps, kitchen steps and more are readily available. Minimising the distance down to a loo or sofa helps protect bad knees, hips and backs. Raised toilet seats clip onto your standard pan and have handles attached to help you get up and down. As for the sofa: raise it up on blocks that screw into the legs. • EXTRA SPACE in passageways and around doors of about a metre’s width is enough for crutches, a pram, walker or a wheelchair, or to avoid banging into corners if you’re just a bit wobbly. Castorsmake it easy to shift spare chairs, bars, chests and tables out of the way. A bit of a reno If you’re making a few changes around the house, consider undertaking them with accessibility in mind. • WIDE DOORWAYS , halls and walkways look great and allow places for turning if you have a mobility impairment. Cavity sliding doors that are mounted from above are easy to open and don’t add a trip hazard. • TIMBER FLOORS , tiles or vinyl provide smooth surfaces without trip hazards. "ick carpet can impede people usingwheelchairs, walkers, crutches and walking sticks. • KITCHEN CABINETRY that’s accessible bene!ts everyone. Add deep drawers with easy-pull runners tocabinets andyou’ll never ferret down the back for a pot again. Keep the benchtop separate from the cabinet units below so one or more units can be removed if you need to !t a wheelchair underneath for bench access. Keep the most-used areas such as the sink, bench, dishwasher, fridge and stovetop close together. Whether major or minor, there are plenty of modi#cations that can be made to improve the accessibility of your home Photo: Getty Images DOWNSIZING While a granny $at arrangement might seem like a bene#cial situation for all, there is much to consider beforehand Photo: Getty Images DOWNSIZING all parties. It can also turn sour fast. If you’ve toyed with the idea of entering into this sort of arrangement, it’s important to make sure you’re aware of the implications. Here are !ve questions to ask before mov- ing into a granny %at. Am I ready to live in a granny flat? While you are likely to still have plenty of your own personal space, there is going to be a loss of independence to a degree. It’s im- portant to ask yourself if you are really willing to give up this space when moving in with your family. Is my family ready to live with me? It’s not a pleasant thing to think about, but the harsh reality is there may be some par- ties who are not altogether pleased with the situation (even if it seems like they are on the surface). It’s always worth having a frank dis- cussion with all the parties that are a$ected, and asking them if this is an arrangement they are committed to going into. Will my pension be affected? Depending on the arrangement you enter into, moving into a granny %at can a$ect your pension entitlements. It’s important to check with the Department of Human Services and a !nancial professional about the rami!ca- tions of making this move, and whether or not you’re willing to live with them. Have I formalised the agreement? "is may seem like adding unnecessary red tape to the arrangement (especially when you’re dealing with family), but formalising the agreement can go some way to avoiding con%ict. Getting the rights and responsibili- ties of each party down on paper is the best way to manage expectations and ensure no one is given the short end of the stick. If things do go awry you don’t want to be left high and dry. It’s important to have a backup plan up your sleeve just in case the worst does happen, and you can be sure you’re in the best position possible to recoup and ultimately recover.