Taking care of elderly parents on your property involves making sure they’re comfortable, safe and happy in their living space. Creating a self-contained unit either attached to your home or as a separate dwelling lets your aging loved ones retain their sense of independence while keeping them looked after.
Styling and furnishing a granny flat is a project you can do together with your parents, giving them the chance to decide what they would like in their new home. The size of the unit and your parents’ physical abilities impact how much and what type of furnishing you need. For example, items such as lift chairs are practical for aging parents who have mobility issues.
Keep reading for tips on how to style and furnish your granny flat for seniors so that they have independence, security, comfort and accessibility in their own space.
5 Tips for Styling and Furnishing a Granny Flat for Your Elderly Parents
1. Choose the Right Paint Colours
Colours play a huge role in a person’s emotions and moods. Picking the right paint colours for your granny flat freshens it up while providing a way of helping to improve your parents’ mental and emotional health. If the dwelling is small, avoid using bright colours which could make the space feel closed in. Rather go for neutral or earth colours such as the following:
- Gentle green: Natural earthy green promotes feelings of serenity, relaxation and healing.
- Light blue: Known to reduce stress and evoke feelings of calmness and peace.
- Bright white: Induces a sense of hope and spirituality.
Soft greys and bright creams work well for senior living spaces and keeping to a single palette throughout the granny flat promotes a harmonious ambience.
2. Take Advantage of Natural Lighting
If you’re building your granny flat from scratch, consider features such as sliding doors, large windows and skylights. Capitalising on natural lighting not only improves your elderly parent’s mental health but also reduces their energy bills every month.
The other benefits of bringing sunlight indoors include:
- Reduce stress and anxiety levels
- Promote healthy sleep patterns
- Increase Vitamin D levels in the body
Natural lighting reduces the need for more artificial light fittings and it creates a calming indoor environment for your parent. Likewise, it helps parents with poor vision to move around freely and safely.
3. Factor in Physical Health Issues
One of the side effects of growing old is facing various physical health issues. If your aging parent has mobility problems, suffers from severe back pain or is losing his or her sight, you need additional measures to ensure the granny flat is safe to use. Features such as barrier-free entrances, non-slip rugs, shower benches and handrails all make it safer and easier for your parent to navigate their home independently.
Electric lift chairs aren’t only comfortable for reclining in but they’re designed to make it easy to get in and out of the seat effortlessly for people with mobility issues. If your parents are avid TV watchers, investing in quality leather recliners will keep them comfortable for hours, especially if one of them battles chronic back pain. And they may even find it convenient to have afternoon naps there instead of going to the bedroom.
4. Bring Nature Indoors With House Plants
When decorating a granny flat, cluttering it with knick-knacks isn’t always advisable! The last thing your parents want to be doing is dusting ornaments all day long. While they may have sentimental objects they want to keep, ask them to pick only a few in order to reduce housekeeping and keep a small space from feeling cramped.
Decorating with house plants brings nature indoors and creates soothing aesthetics in your parents’ living space without cluttering it. The therapeutic benefits of greenery in a living space include reduced stress levels, improved productivity and faster recovery from an illness. Therefore, they’re worth investing in.
5. Embrace Smart Home Technology
Using smart home technology simplifies everyday living. Operating equipment such as the air conditioning unit with the touch of a button makes it easier for your parent to control the indoor climate. Opening and closing blinds with a remote control lets your aging parent manage light levels without having to move around too much.
Smart home automation even allows your elderly parents to programme lightbulbs to switch on at certain times of the day or night. They can operate their automatic garage doors hands-free and installing motion sensors ensures they’re never left in the dark when returning home at night time. All of this will make their lifestyle safer and more convenient.
Final Thoughts
Having your loved ones living close by has many benefits. But, ensuring that they remain independent is essential for your aging parents’ overall wellbeing as well as yours! Correctly styling and furnishing a granny flat for elderly parents helps to maintain autonomy while knowing they’re safe in their living space.
Being mindful of your parents’ physical, mental and emotional health allows you to furnish the granny flat in such a way that your loved ones are comfortable at all times. Then you can relax knowing that your aging loved ones’ wellness is taken care of in the best way possible.
