Tips for Moving a Bedroom to the First Floor
Stairs are a problem for your dad. The bedrooms in his house are all upstairs. You worry about him climbing stairs at night, especially if the only bathroom is on the first level. He doesn’t want to move. An alternative to moving is to bring his bedroom downstairs. If there’s a den or unused living area downstairs, moving a bedroom downstairs is easy to do.
Senior Care in Fresno CA: Senior First Floor Bedroom Tips
Here are some tips…
-Pick the Room to Convert
If there is already a bathroom on his first level, that makes things easy. If there isn’t, you’ll need to convert a room into his bedroom. Does he have a separate dining room that’s rarely used? Is there a den/office that tends to be the room used for storage? Either of those rooms can turn into a dining room.
-Things You Must Consider
-You’ll be converting a room into your dad’s new bedroom. You need to consider the location. Your dad will benefit from a straight shot to the bathroom. If he gets up at night, you won’t want him walking into walls or doors trying to get to the toilet in a hurry. That’s one of the reasons he’s moving downstairs.
-A downstairs room might be smaller than his master bedroom. He’s going to need to downsize some of the items he brings with him. Make sure his bed will fit. If not, he may need to choose a smaller bed. He may not be able to fit numerous bureaus and nightstands. Make sure he’s picked his necessities for the new bedroom.
-Make sure you can move the heavy pieces of furniture without anyone getting injured. You may have strong family members and friends who can help. If not, hire local teens or moving companies to help.
When the Move Doesn’t Seem Possible
There may be times when a downstairs room just isn’t possible. The floor plan and house size aren’t right. You may need to invest in a stair lift if he simply cannot walk up and down stairs alone. If there’s money available, converting a garage space into a bedroom or building an addition is possible, too.
Don’t rule out elderly care services when it comes to keeping your dad safe. Hiring caregivers to help your dad get safely up and down the stairs is another route you can take. Call a home care agency to arrange interviews with caregivers in your dad’s area.