There are many small household modifications that can make a big difference!
It can be hard to know what those are when you’re facing them for the first time. Hopefully we can give you a starting point and some things to think about.
Tripping Hazards – Small Pets and Throw Rugs
This is not strictly a handyman job but it is very important.
Small pets and throw rugs are tripping hazards for anyone, especially seniors.
Pets are here to stay, have you managed to find a way for them to be less in the way at the wrong time? Sometimes I swear my cats are trying to kill me by quietly standing right behind me. When I take a step backwards, phewf, tripping hazard city. Maybe a little bell around the dog or cat's neck would at least help to alert you when they are in stealth mode.
Pay attention to any mats or throw rugs around the house, particularly those with corners that are rolling up at the edges or that slide around. It might be worth considering disposing of these, or at least some of them.
Grab Bars! – Left Side, Right Side, Both Sides
Any handyman for senior citizens is well versed in installing these. Having solid, sturdy grab bars beside the shower/tub and toilet or other areas can make a world of difference.
Touchless indoor lighting
Indoor motion sensor lighting or lighting that is programmed via your Google Home smart device. Yes, the Google Home or other smart device like it can have the lights programmed to turn on and off at specific times of the day. These times can be set such as ‘turn off at midnight’ or they can be timed with the sun such as ‘turn off 3 hours after sunset’. Pretty cool!
Outdoor motion sensor lighting – solar powered and it works great in bc!
If your outdoor motion sensor lighting isn’t working for some reason, or you’d like to install some, inexpensive solar motion detection lights work great here in Vancouver, BC.
Yes, it’s surprising that the technology can work in BC in the winter, but they work great!
They are affordable on Amazon (we can order them for you) and couldn’t be simpler to put up. I don’t want to even say ‘install’, they have a little hole at the top and come with a screw to go through it. Much cheaper than getting the electrician in to fuss around with wiring, and a ‘green’ solution – win/win.
What other little jobs can be done by a handyman for senior citizens?
While we’re at it, a home handyman for seniors can do many of the other little jobs around the house. We can change light bulbs, change smoke detector batteries, do painting touch ups, general small repairs, drywall repair, furniture building, pressure washing and home maintenance to name a few. Go ahead and ask us! There’s lots of little handyman jobs around the house that we can do. It can be a great idea to ‘bundle’ the jobs by keeping a running list and then we can tackle several of them in one visit. Especially the ones that are not time-sensitive.
If you’re looking for a little jobs handyman in Vancouver, give me a shout. No job is too small and I’m happy to work with seniors to make aging in place a wonderful experience.
Read more about me, Gil Redden here.
I'm an experienced handyman. I thrive on providing my professional craftsmanship across the Lower Mainland.