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When creating a perfect room for an elderly family member, consider a few of the things I have learned over the past year.
Protection – As people age, they have more health issues…many of which involve bodily fluids. Rather than installing a plush, fabric headboard (as we first thought), we used a leather-look vinyl headboard. It looks very nice and adds comfort and style, but it's easy to clean and care for. Mattress covers are a must. Get a good mattress and keep it in good condition.
Linens – make sure the sheets on your bed are comfortable but very durable. This may cost more initially, but will save in the long run. I bought some very pretty, silky sheets for our guest bedroom, but in less than one year I had to replace them. They had been worn down by frequent washing and shredded due to tough, thick elderly toe nails. Higher thread counts and durable fabrics will avoid this. If you still want some luxury, try adding satin pillowcases while keeping the main sheets a more practical fabric.
Fussiness – Too much just-for-aesthetics stuff tends to be problematic. Taking off and replacing many decorative pillows is making work that is unnecessary. A bedspread or quilt that requires flexibility to place properly can be physically trying. Bed skirts and other excess fabric can cause tripping, make space less accessible, and even add just another place to harbor orders. A room can be decorated simply and still be beautiful.
It's hard to anticipate what difficulties might arise in an unknown situation, but having an elderly family member move in requires some accommodation and thinking outside the box.
Alison Moore Smith is a 61-year-old entrepreneur who graduated from BYU in 1987. She has been (very happily) married to Samuel M. Smith for 40 years. They are parents of six incredible children and grandparents to two astounding grandsons. She is the author of The 7 Success Habits of Homeschoolers.
Thank you for this article. Now, I have an Idea how I shall design the bed for my parents. They’re becoming old and they need a bed that would fit their needs.
I want it simple as it can be.
just enough for them, no swag, no embellishments.
Thanks for the tips as i was not aware of the fact that bedrooms for elderly people need special attention and care.
I used to get cotton bedding for my grandma but they just get torn off so easily especially when she’s having a bad mood. She has this hobby of biting off pillows 🙂 I will try to change her bedding with ones made of linen.
Some very good ideas to think about in your post. I would definitely recommend have a less cluttered room. Trip hazards have to be avoided as much as possible. Having a room with an on-suite or close to a bathroom will make things a lot easier. It is also important to take into account whether or not your elderly family member can up and down stairs.
Your post is so helpful for everyone who lives with their elderly. Elderly people must be given enough attention. As our parents or grandparents get old, its so important that they can feel the love they need. And using this special bedding for the elderly is just one way of showing how much we care for them.
Proper bedding for the elderly is something that probably gets overlooked too often, when even minor changes to bedding in order to accomodate aging parent or relative could make a lot of difference to their comfort and safety level. Main thing to carry away from the article is that simplicity and common sense- rather than embellishments- is what counts here.