How to Redesign a Bedroom for a Disabled Family Member

For however long your disabled relatives will be staying with you, he or she deserves to be comfortable and happy. Adult children often redesign bedrooms in their homes so that their elderly, disabled parents can come and live with them, or even just stay for the weekend. Choose an over bed table to enable your loved one to sit in bed and have quite a few comforts within easy reach, such as magazines, remote controls and even a snack or two. Widen the bedroom door frame to easily allow a motorized wheelchair to come through. You might also change the doorknobs, and even add other accessories that will make your disabled relative’s bedroom comfortable and completely safe.

Installing Disability Friendly Furniture

If your relative is recovering from a serious illness, you might actually need to have a hospital bed installed. There are also chairs and tables that can be height adjusted so that a disabled person can sit and get up pretty easily. The type of furnishings that will go in your loved one’s bedroom depends on the nature of the disability that he or she has. For instance, someone who is blind may need to have furniture with instructions printed in braille. Someone who has mobility issues can benefit from recliner chairs that lift up.

Making Changes to the Construction of the Bedroom

Some people with disabilities need to have their living quarters completely changed to allow for comfortable living. Perhaps your disabled family member needs to have dialysis performed several times a week. It may be more sanitary to rip up all the carpeting and have tiled flooring installed so that there is less risk of an infection developing. If your relative is paralyzed and needs to have a motorized lift installed in the bedroom to get in and out of bed, then major construction will be needed to make his or her living quarters more suitable.

Adding New Decor and Accessories

Choosing the decorations that will go into your disabled family member’s bedroom should be simple and easy as long as you get their input. Remember that this is their bedroom, so they need to have the final say in what decorations will make them happy. Some people may enjoy fresh cut flowers, pastel colors, and bright lighting while others will enjoy a room with lots of throw blankets to help them stay warm and darkening shades to help keep the sunlight out of their eyes. Look for bedding that is hypoallergenic and use artificial plants instead of real ones if you have concerns about allergies.

When your disabled relative moves in you might only need to make superficial adjustments to the furnishings, construction, and furnishings in their bedroom. On the other hand, your loved one’s doctor could recommend setting up a bedroom on the first floor so that stairs aren’t a hindrance for your relative, as well as a lot of other bedroom redesign requests. Make sure that you hear from your family member about what their preferences are as you work to make their bedroom more comfortable for long-term use.