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Starting A Business Made 50% Easier

Welcome to my blog! My name is Douglas Bernanke. I have always wanted to start a business and have had the finances and knowledge to do so. But something has always occurred in my life that has interfered, whether it be my sick mom or a brother who desperately needed help getting back on his feet. But I have kept the entrepreneurial flames burning and have continued to research and prepare for the day when I will finally take the plunge and start my business. If you are like me and want to be highly prepared and informed before jumping into the world of business, this is the blog for you!

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Starting A Business Made 50% Easier

How Can a Handyman Help Seniors Age in Place Safely at Home?

by Courtney Kennedy

Many seniors are interested in staying in their homes for as long as possible. Your home is a more familiar environment, and it provides quite a bit more privacy than an assisted living facility or nursing home. If you're planning on aging in your own place, then it's important that you modify your home in order to make it as safe as possible for you to stay there. Thankfully, many accommodations for aging can be easily installed by a handyman service. To learn how a handyman can modify your home in order to help you live in it safely, read on.

Install Grab Bars

When you're aging in your own home, grab bars are one of the best safety features that you can install. They provide needed support when your footing is unsteady, and they should be installed near your toilet and in your shower. Your home may also have a short stairway leading to your garage or your back door that doesn't have a handrail, and installing a grab bar there will make it easier for you to navigate those few steps.

Grab bars are commonly attached to wall studs with strong screws, but it's possible for a handyman to install them in any wall by using toggle bolts. Toggle bolts have a large surface area that allows drywall alone to provide the necessary strength for a grab bar. You should install grab bars anywhere in your home where you may have difficulty maneuvering, as holding on to them will help reduce your risk of slipping and falling.

Upgrade to Motion-Sensitive Lighting

Improving the lighting in your home helps keep you safe since it can illuminate tripping hazards on the floor. One of the best upgrades you can make is to have a handyman replace your light fixtures with motion-sensitive lighting. These lights automatically turn on when they detect that you have entered the room, allowing you to see any potential tripping hazards on the floor without the need to turn on the light switch manually.

Widen Door Openings

Narrow doorways are a common problem for people who use a wheelchair. It can be very difficult to fit a wheelchair through a small doorway, and you may even get stuck in the frame if you try to turn around. Thankfully, a handyman can eliminate this problem by widening your door openings, removing the door and its frame in order to create extra space. The drywall adjacent to the opening can even be cut back further if necessary. Even if you're not currently using a wheelchair to get around your home, widening your door openings is a good way to ensure that your home will accommodate one easily if you decide to use a wheelchair in the future.

Replace Round Doorknobs With Levers

Round doorknobs can be difficult to grasp when you have arthritis, as bending your fingers to form a fist can be quite painful. A handyman can easily replace all of the doorknobs in your home with lever knobs, which are much easier to grasp. Lever doorknobs allow you to open doors by pulling down on the lever, which is often easier than turning a round doorknob when you have pain in your hands or a weak grip.

If you're planning to stay in your home as you age, call a handyman service in your area and ask what simple upgrades can be performed to make your home more accommodating. In addition to making it easier for you to get around your home, many of these upgrades make staying in your home safer as well — they reduce your risk of tripping and falling.

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