Living with arthritis can be a difficult feat, especially since it can make everyday household tasks so hard to accomplish. However, with only a few smart, strategic changes you can make your home more arthritis-friendly. Here are five tips to help you make those changes.
Keep important items within arm’s reach.
Items that you know you’ll be using every day, such as a wallet, purse, phone, or keys, should be kept in an easy-to-reach place—which normally means placing them on a surface that is about waist-level. Additionally, try to move other items that are typically placed high on shelves (like food and utensils) or low to the ground (like wastebaskets) into areas that you can easily access.
Watch out for rugs.
Arthritis can make walking more difficult, and loose rugs can pose a severe tripping hazard for you. Additionally, if you use a walker or other mobility aid, it can be easy to get them stuck on the edge of one as well. To avoid these potential problems, secure your rugs by taping down their edges or by placing a no-slip material beneath them so they stay secured.
Renovate your bathtub.
Bathtubs and showers are some of the most common places in the home for falls to occur. However, there are few modifications you can make to ensure that one doesn’t happen to you. Installing a support rail and shower bench can making getting in and out of the tub safer and pain-free, and installing no-slip decals on the tub floor will ensure you don’t fall during showering.
Clean up the clutter.
Clutter makes your home look messy, but more importantly for people suffering from arthritis, it can pose unnecessary tripping hazards. By getting rid of objects that you don’t need or don’t use often, you’ll not only free up extra space, but also make your home a safer place to live.
Rethink your doorknobs.
While you might not give a lot of attention to something as seemingly insignificant as doorknobs, they can actually be quite important to think about when living with arthritis. Traditional round doorknobs can be difficult to grasp and turn if you’re dealing with joint pain, so replace them with easier-to-open lever-style door handles instead.
