Entrance and circulation
- Level changes, thresholds and ramp space
- Clear path width and turning space
- Door operation, lighting and slip resistance
Practical planning checklist
Plan the home around the senior and the caregiver
Start with the person’s routines and abilities, then check each room, transition and caregiver task. The goal is a clear survey brief—not a one-size-fits-all shopping list.
Example: before adding a grab bar, confirm how the senior approaches, turns and transfers, where the caregiver stands, and whether the wall can take the specified fixing.
Room-by-room review
Bathroom and toilet
- Transfer direction and caregiver position
- Grab-bar location and fixing substrate
- Wet-area flooring, drainage and shower access
Bedroom and transfers
- Bed height and approach space
- Route to the toilet at night
- Storage for mobility and care equipment
Lighting and visual cues
- Even lighting with reduced glare
- Contrast at edges, switches and fittings
- Simple, familiar wayfinding
Caregiver workflow
- Assistance space without trapping the caregiver
- Safe reach to supplies and controls
- Emergency contact and access arrangements
Handover and review
- Demonstrate each installed item
- Record maintenance and cleaning needs
- Recheck after health or mobility changes
Safe project sequence
- Write the user profile.
Record routines, mobility aids, transfer method, caregiver support and the main problem to solve. - Survey the actual home.
Measure the full route and inspect walls, floors, drainage, doors, lighting and available working space. - Get the right professional input.
Use clinical, accessibility, structural or authority review where the scope requires it. - Agree a phased scope.
Separate urgent safety work from useful later improvements and document the assumptions. - Install, test and hand over.
Confirm fixings and operation, demonstrate use, and give the household a maintenance record.
Official reference starting points
- Singapore BCA — Code on Accessibility in the Built Environment 2025
- Singapore BCA — Universal Design guides
- Australian Commission — 2025 Falls Guidelines for Community Care
Important: this page is a planning aid. It is not a clinical assessment, compliance certificate, construction design or product prescription. Suitability depends on the person, building and local approval requirements.