Adapting Your Home for Parkinson's Disease

In this article

• General Safety Guidelines:
• How Can Assistive Devices and Adaptive Equipment Help?
• How Can I Adapt My Home to Make It Easier to Live In?

How Can I Adapt My Home to Make It Easier to Live In? continued...

Tips for adapting your bathroom:

• Use an elevated toilet seat and/or safety rails to assist standing from a low surface. Do not use towel racks or bathroom tissue holders to help you stand.
• Put extended lever handles on faucets to make them easier to turn.
• Install grab bars inside and outside the bathtub or shower.
• Use a bathtub transfer bench or a shower chair with a back support.
• Put a non-skid mat or decals in the bath tub.
• Get rid of small bathroom mats that may cause you to trip, instead purchase a large rug that covers most of the floor, and apply non-stick backing or install wall-to-wall carpeting.

Tips for adapting your kitchen:

• Have at least one counter workspace that has been lowered so you can reach it from a sitting position.
• Use an electric jar opener for tightly sealed containers.
• Don't close jar lids or containers too tight once they have been opened.
• Use an extended lever to assist with lift-tab cans.
• Use pans with a wide base that cannot be knocked over easily.
• Use a food processor for vegetable cutting and peeling.
• Use plastic containers to avoid breakage.
• Use a non-skid mat to stabilize bowls and plates.
• Store food and beverages (such as milk or juice) in small, easy to manage containers.
• Place utensils, pots, pans, and measuring cups on a peg board or in an accessible cupboard instead of in lower cupboards which require bending. Sit when getting things out of lower cupboards.
• Use a spike board to stabilize vegetables, fruit, and potatoes so you have both hands free to peel or chop them.
• Use two hands to pour liquids.
• Use scissors to open cellophane packages.
• Use a box top opener to open boxes.
• Use electrical appliances whenever possible.

Other tips:

Make your environment as comfortable and sensory pleasing as possible. Use colors you find soothing to decorate, use scented candles or potpourri in fragrances that relax you.

Keep photos and music around that uplift your spirit. If you find you would like company during the day consider a pet such as a bird, a fish, or a cat. If you are concerned about daily care, surround yourself with plants or flowers. Make sure the temperature and climate are suitable to your sensitivities. The more comfortable and uplifting your environment is, the more positive your attitude will be!