Daily Living Tips for the Elderly

In Hong Kong home design, we can usually see 2 to 3 inch high "thresholds" at the front door, bathroom and kitchen doors. The function of these thresholds is mainly to prevent dust from the corridor from entering the room, and to prevent water from the bathroom and kitchen from entering the living room. From the perspective of design aesthetics, the color and style of the threshold are usually matched with the floor. However, have you ever thought that these thresholds may be a terrible home trap for the elderly?

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Imagine if you had weak legs, frequent knee pain, and poor balance, and had to step over 2- to 3-inch high thresholds every day, how great would the risk of stumbling be? Or if you had an eye disease, such as cataracts, which blurred your vision for a long time, how difficult would it be to identify thresholds? Therefore, for the elderly, a series of thresholds in the home may have become a terrible trap. In fact, it is not uncommon for the elderly to suffer fractures, permanent disability, or even death due to stumbling on thresholds in their homes. This is a problem that we cannot ignore.

 

In order to improve the safety of the elderly, we need to think about how to solve this problem. One possible solution is to reduce or eliminate the height of the threshold, making it easier for the elderly to enter and exit the room steadily. In addition, you can consider using a design without a threshold, which can not only reduce the risk of stumbling, but also make it easier for the elderly to use wheelchairs or walkers. In addition, choosing bright and high-contrast colors can help the elderly more easily identify the location of the threshold.

 

We must pay attention to the impact of threshold issues in our homes on the elderly. By improving threshold design, we can create a safer and barrier-free living environment for the elderly, reduce their risk of trips and injuries, and improve their quality of life.