7 Exciting Interior Design Ideas to Make Your Assisted Living Space Feel Like Home
More and more seniors are finding that they can no longer live independently and must move into assisted living. Fortunately, here are a few tips to help you make your new space feel just like home.
Consider the Size of the Room
The hardest part of moving into an assisted living facility is your room will likely be smaller than your house. Here’s where you need to improvise. Use loveseats with firm cushions that are easy to get up from instead of sinking full living room sets. To feel more at home, try to move smaller pieces of furniture into your new space.
What Do You Want to Keep?
You will have to be choosy when deciding what to bring with you. Avoid clutter, but decorate with your most beloved paintings, pictures, books, or more. Consider gifting to relatives and friends the items that don’t make the cut.
Make Social Interaction Easy
As we age, one of the most important parts of happiness is keeping an active social life. Ensure your apartment has plenty of seating for guests. You might also want to display interesting photos, awards, or art to facilitate conversation.
Avoid Designs with Dark Spots or Busy Patterns
If you or your loved one is suffering from dementia, busy patterns can be frustrating. And, for someone with vision loss, dark spots can look like holes or dirt spots. Include family photographs into canvas prints or wall art to keep décor meaningful and simple.
Choose Optimal Colors for Visibility
As we get older, our eyesight starts to change. Improve visibility with strong contrasts in color between draperies, furniture, floors, and surrounding walls. Healing colors like yellows, blues, and greens are ideal.
Create Plenty of Storage
There probably won’t be much storage in your new place. Consider a fashionable ottoman that includes storage and can double as a coffee table when you add a tray. Add a little functionality to the room by incorporating a bookshelf or armoire that you already own that fits well with the space.
Add Tactile Enhancements
The elderly rely heavily on their sense of touch. This is particularly true for dementia and Alzheimer’s sufferers. When it comes to throws and blankets, think comfortable and cozy. Stimulate memories and excite the senses by also using fur, denim, and lace.
