When it’s time to change out the stove for yourself or an aging loved one, I want you to keep in mind these features that will help you remain independent and safe in your home longer.
Sadly, the stove is a source of many injuries, damage to a home and a key reason why many lose the ability to remain in their home as long as they like.
A little advance planning when your stove is near the end of it’s life, can go a long way to keeping you safe in your home, longer.
Front Controls Stove Feature
Whoever first invented the stove and put controls at the back, should be deeply reprimanded in history. Let’s reach over a hot element, boilng water, and steam that can burn your skin, to reach a control – craziness!
Controls on the front of the stove mean you don’t have to reach over anything hot, risk burns or injuries. It means you won’t lose your balance and accidentally set your hand down on a hot burner.
Front controls means you can sit in front of your stove, stir your chili and control the temperature…without standing up. Whether you tire easily and need a chair, need to use a walker with a seat or need to use a wheelchair – with the right stove with front controls – cooking will not be a barrier for you!
Induction Burner Stove Feature
I think these stoves are absolute genius! The moment you take a pot off an induction burner, the burner is cool to touch – instantly. This means no setting a towel too close to a burner and it catches fire. It means you can clean your stovetop right away instead of waiting for it to cool off. It means the grand kids are safer in your kitchen as well.
The downside is that you have to have compatible pots and pans to use on an induction stovetop – which for some makes this cost prohibitive. But with some planning and some research you can find alternate options.
I’ve had clients purchase induction pots and pans off the internet for people who are selling theirs, or finding them at garage sales once you know what to look for.
Does it meet the 3 criteria for aging well at home?
When you are looking at modifications in your home, you always want to ask yourself these three questions:
- Does it make the stove safer?
- Does it make the stove easier to use as my health changes?
- Does it make my home more accessible to myself or my visitors?
In this case, these two changes, mean a ‘yes’ for all three questions. Having a stove you can sit at, cook at and have enhanced safety features means you can keep cooking independently for quite some time.
