How an Experienced Handyman Can Help Prepare Your Home for a Senior’s Arrival

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Getting your home ready for a senior citizen, especially one who may be physically compromised, usually involves upgrading it for specific senior safety guidelines and even Medicare regulations. The senior’s health care provider may have specific requirements based on his or her physical needs. However, even if the senior doesn’t require specific home retrofitting, improvements to stairways, bathrooms, doorways and the kitchen will promote their comfort and safety.

Stairway Improvements

If access to a bedroom and bathroom isn’t an option on the first floor of your home, you can improve stairway safety by adding a second hand railing, placing brightly colored tape on the edges of the steps, and coating slick stair surfaces with nonslip materials. A long-term solution to stairway hazards is a lift chair that almost always requires installation by someone familiar with home remodeling and safety issues.

Bathroom Upgrades

Bathroom accidents can be serious, and grab bars near the toilet, tub and shower will provide balance and security for anyone. The hardware needs to be firmly anchored to the walls, something a handyman has the tools and experience to do. A shower is inherently safer for seniors than a bathtub, and this is another modification an experienced plumber can help you execute.

Doorway Modifications

Doorways may need to be expanded to accommodate a wheelchair. The standard width is 32 inches, however, making them wider will ease navigation. Expanding a door frame requires a fair amount of expertise and specialized tools, as does installing a new frame and door.

Kitchen Renovations for Seniors

A complete kitchen remodel to ease cooking for the senior can be an overwhelming expense, but you might be able to work with a handyman contractor to make the necessary changes that simplify accessing the refrigerator, stove, microwave and sink. How much a skilled contractor can do for you depends on your current appliances and kitchen layout, and this option may be worth exploring to enhance the livability of your home for the senior.

The experts at Apollo Home Heating, Cooling and Plumbing can help you with senior safety issues around your home. We’ve proudly assisted greater Cincinnati homeowners with these issues and more since 1910.

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"Ernie & Mike did a superb job on my new furnace and A/C installation. Despite having more than a day’s work to do, they came in and stayed until the job was done. They were organized, efficient, and protected the rest of the house well. Got both furnace and A/C installed the same day. Ernie was courteous, informative, and clearly knew his job better than anyone I’ve encountered before. The units look so good guests now get The Tour of our new system. Apollo is clearly not a fly-by-night company. I would recommend them to anyone in need of a new furnace and/or A/C."
- Jerry A.
"I called Apollo because of a water leak I thought I had in our upstairs shower going into the kitchen. Robbie came and assured me everything was fine & looked at all the other plumbing. He ended up changing a few pipes for our washer & clearing a drain. He was very nice & knowledgeable with all my questions. I ended up signing up for the care plan & was very happy with my service."
- Cassandra B.
"The team at Apollo exceeded my expectations. As a business owner, my attention to the details and commitment to providing excellent service is high. From the sales rep. to the installation team, everyone’s performance was outstanding. For example, the installation team went to great lengths to protect our floors, placing floor runners and across the wood floors and up the stairs. They even were spot washing walls upon their departure. I highly recommend this company."
- Randy B.
"We scheduled an estimate AND a tune-up. We knew something was wrong with our furnace, but hoped we could make it through the rest of the season. Upon telling Bill what our furnace was doing, he warned us immediately what the possible outcome was going to be; a cracked heat exchanger. He watched the flames roll backward, tested carbon monoxide levels, which were so high they meter’s last reading was 5,600 before saying “high”. He immediately shut it down, tagged it, and explained that with levels that high and children in our home he wanted off right away. He continued his inspection and showed us via a camera that not only was it cracked in multiple places, but had holes all over it. He gave us a few options for repairing it; his knowledge as well as genuine concern was beneficial and refreshing. Luckily we also scheduled an estimator, Micah, to come too and we were able to get costs between repairing and replacing (with several options). We decided to replace with a much higher efficiency furnace and one sized properly to our home. Hands down, not only did they both provide us great service and knowledge, but without sounding dramatic, they may have saved our lives. This was our first time calling Apollo, but it won’t be our last."
- Sarah B.
"Apollo is an excellent company. I always receive great service. Alex A. was professional and friendly. He kept me informed during the process of checking my furnace and heat pump to make sure they were working properly. The company makes sure you are notified who is coming and when they are on the way. All my interactions with the company have been wonderful."
- Beverly S.
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