Keeping Them Close By

It seemed that it was just yesterday when your mother was worrying about whether you had enough to eat for lunch or if you had packed your heavy sweater when off on an overnight camping trip with girlfriends. But now the shoe is on the other foot and you’re worrying about your aging parent and the challenges they face living on their own.

Many families are choosing accessory apartments as a viable answer. An accessory apartment is a self-contained unit built in an existing or new house. One specifically designed for a relative can have several nicknames including “granny flat” or “in-law suite.” But whatever you want to call it, for many families accessory apartments are the ideal way of helping an aging parent maintain their freedom and independence while keeping them nearby.

Since an accessory apartment is a fully operational living space with separate sleeping quarters, living room, kitchen and bathroom, it is subject to local building codes and bylaw restrictions. But once it has been built and is ready to be occupied, there are some things you can do to make the space safe, comfortable and convenient for the senior who will be moving in. In many cases, the mom, father or in-law moving in will bring along their own furniture, but if you need to furnish the accessory apartment in preparation for their arrival, here are some basic guidelines to keep in mind when creating the ideal age-proofed living area.

Because many accessory apartments will be in the basement, you can off-set their tendency to be smaller in size with less natural light by choosing lighter colors for furniture. Or if the elderly parent or relative prefers darker woods or finishes, paint the walls of the unit a lighter color to make the area appear more spacious. When selecting a dining table, end tables, a coffee table or nightstands, purchase ones with rounded corners.

Many manufacturers are producing furniture pieces smaller in scale, designed specifically for apartment living. Opting for two loveseats rather than one sofa can increase the seating options of the living area while taking into account less space to work with.

To make the most out of the available floor space, choose multi-functional pieces whenever possible. A coffee table with open shelving, an end table that includes a magazine rack or an ottoman that doubles as hidden storage are just a few of the many ways you can introduce multi-functional furnishings into an accessory apartment.

Of course, the right lighting is a very important concern when decorating an accessory apartment that will be occupied by an aging parent or in-law. Select lamps, wall sconces and other fixtures that can accommodate bulbs of higher wattage and have at least two bulbs. Old age can play havoc on the eyes, and using higher wattage light bulbs will shed more light, preventing unnecessary accidents. Choosing fixtures with two or more bulbs will make allowances; if one burns out at night, the lamp will still provide some light until the bulb can be replaced in daylight hours.

Having a separate place for an aging parent or in-law to live can provide the perfect balance between maintaining the senior’s independence, and a loved one’s concern for their safety and well-being. Good design and wise furniture choices can create an accessory apartment that is comfortable, practical and inviting.

Shed Some Light

As we move past the formative stages of the 21^st century, it is clear that conservation and the related ecological concerns have very much earned one of the top spots on the human agenda for both the immediate and more long-term future. Scientists, researchers and all manner of findings have stated emphatically that we cannot continue established patterns of consumption and expect the same level of environmental resiliency on this planet. The 3 Rs – Reduce, Re-use and Recycle – should be a globally embraced family value soon if not already so.

I was fortunate to have a mother that was on the conservation wagon long before the situation was as critical as it is now, and accordingly I’m well-trained in that regard. Most specifically, I remember “Did you turn off the lights?” being a common inquiry after I had emerged from the basement. At the time it seemed insignificant to me, but I’m thankful for her rigidity now.

First and foremost, incandescent light bulbs need to be phased out ASAP. Only 10% of the energy drawn by these massively-inefficient bulbs is turned into light, with the remaining 90% dissipating as heat. Compact fluorescent bulbs, most commonly seen as the dual u-loop or spiral-coil bulbs, use 75% less energy than the aforementioned lighting dinosaurs and last up to 4 times longer based on average use rates.

Both home and office are, on average, considerably gluttonous when it comes to electricity consumption. Often times, especially with family, it may be difficult to cut-back as much as you’d like overall in the home, but the office is one place where you can curtail energy-consumption more effectively. For those who wish to be accountable as such, replacing existing task lamps with any of the impressive selection offered at cymax.com is an excellent place to start. The value and versatility of a Lite Source clip-on Lite can take on a go-green element as well when fitted with one of the aforementioned fluorescent bulbs, and as always the appeal of online shopping is the ability to re-furbish your home or office without having to leave it. For more stationary lighting needs, Ledu desk lamps are a practical hybrid of function and style, easily adjusted to suit the task and personal space preferences and similarly compatible with these vastly more efficient fluorescent bulbs.

The efforts of pop culture artists like Jack Johnson and Dave Matthews, among a host of others, have made most welcome efforts to incorporate being environmentally-responsible into the realm of being “cool.” Johnson, in fact, recorded his entire new album, Sleep through the Static, entirely with the use of solar-derived power and Matthews is well know for his line of BAMA RAGS hemp clothing and personal goods.

Whether artists such as these two falls into what you consider cool or not, style is important to everyone and, getting back to task lighting, some of you with more decor discerning tastes will be pleased to peruse the selection of more expressive Adesso Desk Lamps at cymaxstores.com. Stylish and functional, these quality-constructed lamps are built to last and are also part of the trend in shunning the use of incandescent bulbs.

Turning off lights when not needed for use is an easy habit we all need to develop fervently and parents are encouraged to take positive-reinforcement steps to ingrain this behaviour in their children from a young age. Further, individuals of all ages are encourage to focus on need-specific area lighting, rather than lighting an entire room to, for example, read a book in bed.

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