With age, the kitchen is a place that must be convenient and comfortable to avoid injuries without stopping to cook! Discover 8 tips for a kitchen specially designed for seniors.
1. Everything must remain accessible from the ground
For the comfort of elder people, it is better to avoid stools and other supports to reach the various utensils, that can be sometimes heavy. It is therefore necessary to favor a functional kitchen with furniture low enough for the equipment to remain accessible from the ground.
2. Tips to avoid injuries
For seniors, the risk of falling is higher. The floor therefore has a preponderant importance and must be anti-slip. For the worktop, the stone is an excellent choice because it is possible to place hot dishes quickly without damaging it.
Oven or microwave, the right height is between 50 and 60 cm. It is important to keep the electrical household appliance as simple as possible. Fortunately, the companies offer products as a microwave for elderly with dementia that keep tasks easy.
If the elder is moving in an armchair, opt for side-opening doors that are easier to open and less dangerous. Note the maintenance of the microwave, less restrictive than that of the oven. If you wish to equip a dishwasher, it should be at the same height as the oven.
In addition, choosing simple household appliances for use and maintenance is important. On the cooking side, induction hobs or vitroceramics combine the good points. A lower risk of burns, lighting of areas in operation, easy cleaning, quick cooking and the ability to slide dishes from a plate to the worktop. In all cases, they must be equipped with a light that indicates the degree of heat.
Finally, even if the dream is to cook with the latest robots and high-tech utensils, it is better to opt for simplicity to not take the risk of injury.
3. How to choose your sink?
It is important not to neglect the choice of the sink, especially as there are different kinds. However, it is better to opt for a 5-inch deep kitchen sink, as well as a mixer tap with hand shower for more comfort.
4. Banish high tables and bar chairs
It's time for comfort and security. We must therefore favor a standard table with comfortable chairs. Also, even if the kitchen is open with a table in the dining room, it is important to have a table and chairs in the kitchen area, so elders can sit even during the preparation of dishes.
5. Prioritize drawers to cupboards
Easy to handle and often more practical than closets for storage, drawers are the preferred solution in the kitchen. There are even some with a soft closing option, for a better comfort of use. Similarly, a wide range of handles is proposed, which allows to choose the one that offers the best input.
6. Choosing effective lighting
Lighting is also important because it makes it possible to clearly distinguish the worktops and the cooking station, as well as to find your way easily in the kitchen, even in the smallest recesses. The ideal: soft lighting but strong enough, preferably LED without forgetting to illuminate under low furniture, drawers, closets, etc.
7. What choice of hob?
For optimum safety, the induction hob is an ideal solution. With a locking option and a cut-off timer, the risk of incidents is clearly reduced.
8. Take accessibility standards into account
With age, there are many seniors who have difficulty moving or are forced to use a wheelchair. It is therefore necessary to provide a kitchen equipped for people with reduced mobility:
- Provide a free passage of 150 cm in front of each element of the kitchen.
- The bottom of the sink and cooktop must be at least 30 cm deep in order to access it with a chair.
- The sink should be about 85 cm from the floor.
- The height under the empty space under the sink should be about 70 cm.
