10 Accessibility Barriers in the Home and How to Overcome Them

Our homes are our sanctuaries, places where we should feel most comfortable and secure. However, as we age, everyday tasks can become challenging due to various barriers within our living spaces. Recognising and addressing these obstacles is crucial to maintaining independence and a good quality of life.​

The need to adapt our home as we age

Ageing brings about changes that can make previously simple tasks more difficult. Stairs that were once navigated with ease may now pose a significant challenge. Long driveways or pathways can become hazardous, especially in unpleasant weather. By identifying these barriers early and implementing appropriate solutions, it’s easier to ensure our homes remain safe and accessible, allowing us to stay in them for longer.​

Understanding your individual needs

Each person's experience with ageing is unique, and it's essential to assess individual needs when considering home adaptations.

Lack of mobility

Mobility can decline gradually, or it might change more suddenly due to illness, injury, or surgery. You might find it harder to get in and out of an armchair, or that walking distances, even short ones from the kitchen to the front door, take more effort than it used to. Tasks like bending down to tie shoes, reaching up into cupboards, or climbing stairs can become daily hurdles.

Sight loss

Even mild vision changes can affect confidence at home. Dim lighting, steps that seemingly blend into floors, or glare from shiny surfaces can make insignificant areas a real hazard. For someone with more advanced sight loss, even locating switches or recognising faces at the front door can be challenging.

Hearing loss

Hearing changes can be subtle, but they often impact safety and social connections with those around us. Not being able to hear something as simple as the doorbell, a smoke alarm, or even a conversation with someone in another room can create a sense of isolation, vulnerability and confusion.

Reduced grip and strength

As we get older, our hands don’t always work the way they used to. Everyday tasks like turning a cupboard door handle, twisting a bottle tap, or opening a window can start to feel unexpectedly difficult. It’s not just about strength either; reduced dexterity can make fine movements harder to control, which can be frustrating and, in many cases unsafe, such as in the kitchen.

Barriers That Can Prevent Home Accessibility 

1. Standing from sofas and chairs

Movements that once felt automatic, like standing up from a chair, can suddenly become difficult or even risky as we age. This isn’t just a matter of “feeling stiff.” It’s often a combination of reduced muscle strength, especially in the legs, joint pain, like arthritis in the hips and balance issues. In many cases, a lack of confidence can also make getting up from a chair more challenging for fear of falling.

Low, deep sofas or overly soft chairs make this worse. They don’t offer enough resistance or support, so instead of being able to push up with your legs and arms, you might find yourself stuck, rocking forward, or relying on the support of someone else to help you up. Not only is that frustrating, but it can feel like a blow to your sense of independence.

Expert Solutions:

Occupational therapists often recommend changes like rise and recline chairs to help maintain independence and reduce strain. These adjustments allow people to stand with more control, less pain, and greater confidence in their own mobility.

2. Getting in and out of the bath

For someone with reduced mobility, getting in and out of a traditional bath can be one of the most daunting daily tasks. The combination of high bath sides, slippery wet surfaces, and the need to maintain balance while stepping over and lowering oneself into the tub creates the perfect potential for a trip or fall. It's not just about physical strength, it’s also about confidence and safety.

This can lead to people avoiding baths altogether, relying solely on strip washes or needing help from a carer. Even for those who manage, there’s often a continued fear of slipping, which means bathing becomes stressful, instead of relaxing as it should be.

Expert Solutions:

As highlighted in one of our blog, Why Choose Oak Tree Bathing, bath lifts can help individuals with disabilities or limited mobility bathe independently, providing a sense of control and independence. They consist of a seat or belt that moves at the touch of a button, reducing the risk of slips and falls and without the reliance of a caregiver. It’s important to consider these options because using other areas of the bathroom to support oneself can be dangerous.

Occupational Therapist, Anava Baruch, explains ‘do not use radiators or hand basins to support you when transferring in or out of the bath, or on and off the toilet. They are not designed to carry your body weight”.

3. Climbing steps and stairs

For many older adults or individuals with mobility challenges, navigating stairs can become a significant obstacle. Whether it’s the steepness of the steps, lack of balance, or joint pain, climbing stairs can feel daunting and unsafe. The need to rely on others for assistance or avoiding stairs entirely can affect independence and the ability to enjoy one’s home. Without a solution, it can lead to feelings of isolation or frustration, especially if the home is built on multiple levels.

Expert Solutions:

Stairlifts are motorised chairs that offer an effective way to safely transport individuals up and down tricky stairs, removing strain and offering both comfort and security. Many modern stairlifts can be customised to fit different types of stairs, even curved or cornered ones, making them suitable for a wide range of UK homes.Adding additional handrails, whether on both sides of the stairs or in key areas like hallways, can also provide additional support and stability, reducing the risk of falls. It’s an affordable and simple way to improve safety without the need for major costly renovations.

4. Accessing lights at night

Navigating the home at night can be a challenge, especially for those with reduced mobility or impaired vision. In the dark, there’s an increased risk of trips and falls, particularly when trying to find light switches. Getting up in the night to use the bathroom or make a drink becomes more hazardous if the lighting isn’t sufficient. For older adults, poor lighting can even create a barrier to feeling safe in their own home.

Expert Solutions:

Installing motion-activated lights in hallways, bathrooms, and other high-traffic areas can eliminate the need for individuals to search for light switches. These lights automatically turn on as soon as movement is detected, ensuring a well-lit path without the need to reach for a switch.

Additionally, voice-activated or app-controlled lighting systems can further enhance convenience, especially for individuals with reduced mobility or strength. With smart lighting, people can adjust the lights with simple voice commands or from a mobile device, making moving around at night a breeze.

5. Getting out of bed

Getting out of bed can be a daily challenge. The effort required to lift oneself up from a lying position and into a seated or standing posture can be difficult, especially if dealing with conditions like arthritis, muscle weakness, or balance issues. This difficulty can make mornings stressful and even dangerous, leading to falls or a fear of falling.

Expert Solutions:

Our resident Sleep Expert, Dr Nerina, believes adjustable beds are an appropriate solution: “The semi-contoured design [of an adjustable bed] enables optimal breathing, a key factor in being able to rest and sleep well. These beds support the joints in the back, hips and knees to ease tension and arthritic aches and pains, helping you to feel refreshed in the morning.”

6. Steps into the home

Steps leading up to the home present a significant accessibility barrier that can make it unsafe or even impossible to enter or leave the home independently. In bad weather, steps can become slippery, further increasing the risk of falls. Inaccessible steps can make essential trips, such as grocery shopping or attending a medical appointment problematic, creating a constant need for assistance from individuals around them.

Expert Solutions:

Installing a ramp in place of steps is one of the most effective ways to eliminate this barrier. Ramps provide a gradual incline that allows for easier access, whether on foot or with a wheelchair or walker. Many ramps are also foldable and portable, so they can be used temporarily.

Occupational Therapist, Stuart Barrow, explains “Ramps and handrails are essential for promoting safety and independence at the home’s entryway. By providing these solutions, people can maintain access to their homes without the fear of falling or needing assistance.”

7. Space for walkers or frames

For individuals who use walkers, frames, or other mobility aids, narrow hallways and doorways can be a significant challenge. These aids provide essential support for balance and stability, but when space inside the home isn’t wide enough to accommodate them, it can restrict movement. In some cases, individuals may have to squeeze through tight spaces or rely on others to navigate certain areas of the home.

A lack of sufficient space for mobility aids also increases the risk of accidents. Narrow doorways may prevent easy access to vital rooms, such as the bathroom or bedroom, and may cause frustration or embarrassment for individuals who want to maintain their independence.

Expert Solutions:

Claire Roberts, a Home Adaptations Specialist believes these adaptations are crucial in maintaining mobility and independence at home. She states “Widening doorways and installing offset hinges can be an easy and affordable way to ensure that individuals can move around their home with ease and confidence.”

8. Needing handrails for steadiness

As we age, balance and coordination can deteriorate and high-traffic areas of the home increase the risk of falls. Even small changes in terrain, like uneven flooring or an unexpected step, can cause loss of balance.

Expert Solutions:

Installing handrails or grab rails in key areas such as bathrooms, along stairways, or in hallways ensures support when it’s needed most. They offer stability and reduce the likelihood of falls, making individuals feel more secure while moving through their home. We’ve written a handy blog all about these and additional home mobility aids.

9. Grip when operating door locks

For individuals with reduced grip strength, opening doors can be a constant frustration. Traditional door knobs require a firm grip and twisting motion, which can be uncomfortable for those with arthritis, joint pain, or muscle weakness. This barrier often forces individuals to ask for help or find ways of negating these areas of the home, for example, refusing to store food away, impacting their sense of autonomy and control over their home environment.

Expert Solutions:

There are a few considerations that replace traditional knobs, including lever-style handles which make it easier for individuals with reduced dexterity to open doors. They can be operated using the palm, elbow or even parts of the face, reducing the need for a firm grip.

10. Lack of grip on flooring in and out of the home

Slippery floors, both inside and outside the home, pose a significant risk for falls, especially for older adults. Traditional hardwood, tiles, or linoleum can become hazardous when wet or dry, making it difficult for individuals to move safely throughout their home. This is especially true in areas like hallways, bathrooms, and the entrance to the home, where people tend to be on their feet most frequently. For those using mobility aids like walkers, frames, or canes, maintaining a firm grip on the flooring is essential to prevent slips and maintain stability.

Expert Solutions:

Replacing traditional flooring with non-slip options or adding non-slip mats can significantly reduce the risk of slipping. Installing anti-slip vinyl or rubber tiles in high-risk areas like bathrooms, kitchens, and stairways can provide enhanced safety.