When adapting a home, the focus can understandably lie on overcoming the physical challenges of living with reduced mobility.

However, there are also many mental health benefits of accessible homes. In this blog, we look at the impact of accessible home environments on mental well-being. 

The Link Between Accessibility And Mental Health

For some people, it can be hard to imagine living in a world that presents daily challenges, even for the most basic tasks. Lots of us take for granted the fact that most environments are set up to suit only a portion of society and that those living with disabilities often find things challenging.

And when those tasks are within their own homes, the mental toll can be high.

A home should be a place of rest. A place to relax, to feel safe and comfortable. But in reality, many UK homes aren’t built to accommodate the wide variety of our population’s needs. 

Living in an unsuitable home can foster or worsen several mental health issues, including;

Anxiety

Safety challenges in the home can create fear and intense worry. Anxiety is a feeling of dread, panic or stress that can affect everyday life, and it becomes a problem when it’s the body’s response to smaller issues or harmless situations. 

Helplessness

When your property isn’t well equipped to meet your particular needs, you’ll likely need support for tasks like cooking and washing. Requiring aid takes away an individual’s independence, and this can mean they feel out of control and even infantilised. 

Low Mood & Depression

Reduced mobility combined with an inadequate home set-up can result in low mood and depression due to isolation and reliance on other people to get basic needs met. 

Isolation

A home that doesn’t provide a safe haven can make someone feel isolated and alone. Individuals living this way may feel embarrassed to have people over in case they see how difficult living is, leading to severe loneliness and disconnection from the world. 

Implementing Accessible Home Features

Addressing accessibility within a home does more than just remove physical barriers; it brings plenty of mental health benefits with it, too. 

Common areas in a property that can create an accessible home environment include…

Bathroom

Needing help with personal care tasks such as washing and toileting can be a challenge for people living with reduced mobility. Changing the bathroom can have a positive impact on mental wellness because adaptations in this space help to promote independence and dignity. 

From accessible toilets that are more comfortable to lower down to and lift from, and walk-in showers that reduce the risk of trips and falls, bathroom adaptations can elicit mental health benefits straight away. Converting a bathroom to a wet room is the most invasive process, one that takes the longest, but many people find this adaptation inarguably life-changing.

Kitchen

When it comes to kitchen adaptations, the biggest mental health benefit is increased independence. 

The kitchen is the hub of the home. But when you struggle to perform kitchen-related tasks such as operating equipment, using sharp or hot items and reaching store cupboard items, this can quickly make you feel useless and inept. 

Kitchen adaptations such as adjustable or lowered worktops for easy wheelchair access, perch stools, shallow sinks for easy reaching and pull-down baskets for high cupboards all help to promote independence. 

Mental Health Benefits Of Accessible Home Environments 5

Stairs

Accessibility in the home context is multifaceted, but one of the most important considerations of multistorey properties is the staircase. If someone isn’t able to access the entirety of their home, this might prevent access to bedrooms and bathrooms and can even mean they’re unable to remain living there.

But what adaptations can be made to make the stairs more manageable?

Well, depending on the unique needs of the individual, changes in this space include installing a stair lift, adding a bannister or two, inlaying LED lighting to the tread of the steps, or even changing the flooring to add more grip. Increasing the accessibility of the stairs reduces or removes the need for an individual to require extra help navigating their home. 

Outside Areas

There are so many mental health benefits associated with getting outside. Spending more time outdoors…

  • Improves your physical health by getting your body moving
  • Improves your confidence
  • Can provide connection to your local community, new people and peer support
  • Enhances your mood, including a reduction of stress, anger and sadness
  • Reduces loneliness
  • Helps you to feel more at one with nature.

And that’s not an exhaustive list! 

External home adaptations that support individuals accessing these mental health benefits could be raised growing beds that are accessible for wheelchair users, grab rails and benches positioned around the garden for rest and stability and a firmer ground surface that is easier to move around on if you’re unsteady on your feet. 

Working Together To Create Accessible Home Environments

The right adaptations empower people to remain living independently in their own homes. The John Ford Group specialises in high-quality adaptations that increase accessibility and enhance lives. 

To design the perfect adaptation solutions we work closely with occupational therapists to understand the physical needs of our clients. But that’s not all. The client’s perspective, as well as input from the family, is vital in the consultation and design stage to ensure the final solution works as it should. 

When you choose the John Ford Group to design, install and maintain your adaptations, you’re choosing a professional company borne from personal experience. We know how stressful accessibility issues can be, and we’re here to listen. Our trusted team of contractors work fast and cleanly to carry out all work, meaning you have one point of contact throughout the whole process and disruption to daily life is minimal. 

Home Adaptations Change Lives 

Improving the accessibility of a home environment does so much more than make a home safe to live in. Home adaptations also support wellness and promote a magnitude of mental health benefits. 

Thinking of starting a home adaptation project for yourself or someone you love? Get in touch with the John Ford Group for friendly advice and a listening ear today.