Transform Your Home into a Sanctuary for Caregiving
Creating a Healing Space: How to Turn Your Home into a Care-Friendly Environment
You have made a compassionate decision to care for a loved one at home. Now you want to find ways to make them safe while making your home comfortable for your whole family.
Here are a few ways we recommend turning your home into a care-friendly environment—one where God’s peace can lead to healing.
The Best Way to start
Prayer First
Before you make any plans, invite the Holy Spirit to guide you in your decisions. Ask for discernment and wisdom to know which options are the best for your loved one. Remember that your hospitality is an act of sacrifice to the Lord that should be done out of love. This will put every other detail into its proper perspective.
Key Elements of a Care-Friendly Home
Accessibility
Ensure that your home is easily navigable for those with mobility challenges by incorporating ramps, wide doorways, and stairlifts.
Comfort
Create a cozy and inviting atmosphere with comfortable furniture and soothing decor to promote relaxation and ease.
Calming Atmosphere
Incorporate your faith into your caregiving. Read scripture, sing songs, and encourage one another to keep going.
Common Questions About Creating a Care-Friendly Environment
Transforming your home into a care-friendly environment can be a rewarding journey. Here are some frequently asked questions to guide you through the process.
How can I make my home safer for my loved one?
Start by removing tripping hazards like loose rugs and clutter. Install grab bars in the bathroom and ensure that all pathways are well-lit. Consider rearranging furniture to create wider paths for easier movement. Keep frequently used items within easy reach to prevent falls from bending or stretching. Make a plan where potentially hazardous materials will go (e.g. used syringes, oxygen tanks, medications). Small changes can prevent accidents and bring peace of mind for the whole family.
What are some tips for creating an inviting space at home?
Incorporate soothing colors and natural light into your home. Arrange the furniture to take in a beautiful view or be conversational. Surround your loved one with pictures of family, scripture, or books to pass the time. Plants are also wonderful but please be careful of allergies. You might need to rethink pets, smoking, or frequency of chores to ensure a clean space.
Remember safety and accessibility are a high priority. These changes need to be made with care and caution, avoiding clutter.
What are some budget-friendly ways to adapt my home for caregiving?
Look for second-hand equipment or seek assistance from local organizations that offer support to caregivers. Simple changes like rearranging furniture or using existing items creatively can make a big difference. Creating a care-friendly home is not about perfection. It is about a home filled with joy and peace, while providing loving care. The relationships built within the walls of your home have eternal impact and they are a reflection of your heart.
Bonus Tip: Make A Medication Station
Every morning I prepared medications for the whole day. Some had to be kept in the fridge, so they had a special bin the other kids weren’t allowed to touch. We also washed and reused A LOT of syringes. Those were placed on their own drying rack so the family didn’t need to be careful with dishes at mealtime.
Bonus Tip: Make Small Systems
Group some of your duties and schedule them for completion on certain days or times. Perhaps you do all of your bills on Mondays, and your medical supply orders on Tuesdays, errands on Wednesday, etc. This way you are less likely to forget what needs to be done. Set reminders on your phone or make a to-do list to be shared with the family.
Bonus Tip: Make a Supply Closet
My daughter’s closet was the perfect place to keep all the extras we didn’t need daily. We got some plastic bins (easy cleaning) and stacked up things like alcohol prep pads, boxes of new syringes, oxygen tubing, and gauze pads. It was easy to see at a glance what needed to be reordered and kept the clutter out of the main living spaces.
Join the Journey of Care and Faith
Our organization wants to help you grow in faith and ability as a caregiver. Share your journey with us, and let us know what type of information if most important to you. Our community is here to help you every step of the way.