How to Make Your Living Spaces More MS-Friendly

Tips for the living room

You can incorporate any of the tips below into any room of your living space — not just the living room.

No cost updates

• Declutter: The fewer objects you have around you, the less you need to care for them. Donate or remove the items you no longer need. Decluttering also leaves your surfaces clear so you can grip them safely for balance.
• Rearrange furniture: Strategically placing and spacing any furniture you might have allows you to lean on and maneuver around it easily.
• Remove throw rugs: These are easy to trip over or slip on and may pose a walking hazard.

Medium cost updates

• Replace light switches: Replacing your light switches with rocker-style switches that don’t require hand strength can help if you have MS with muscle weakness. Touch lamps, timers, and motion- or voice-activated lightbulbs are also good options.
• Elevate electrical sockets: Raising electrical sockets can make them easy to reach without needing to bend down.
• Use lever door handles: Round doorknobs can be difficult to grasp. Replacing them with lever handles allows you to knock them open more easily.
• Use contrasting colors: Marking the edges of door frames and steps with paint or tape in dark or bright colors can help you see them more easily. You can also use the same materials to make switch plates stand out on light-colored walls.

Significant investment updates

• Replace thick carpeting: Installing thinner carpeting, hardwood, or other smooth flooring can make it easier and safer to move around.
• Widen doorways: If you use a walker or wheelchair, you’ll widening doorways to about 32 inches can help. You can first try removing the door entirely, reversing doors to open outwards, or installing pocket doors that slide inside the walls.

Tips for the kitchen

Setting up workstations with seating and organizing kitchen tools can greatly improve meal prep.

No cost updates

• Favor eye level: Rearranging your cabinets so the items you use most frequently are at eye level will save you from having to reach up or bend down.
• Store strategically: Instead of stacking heavy dishes or baking sheets, stand them on end.

Medium cost updates

• Invest in comfortable equipment: If you have numbness in your fingers, tools like the Verti-Grip knife (which needs mostly downward pressure) or jar openers can make meal preparation much easier. Also opt for lightweight pots and pans.
• Use wire inserts or shelves: Fitting these into your cabinets allows you to simply slide them out to access kitchen equipment.
• Purchase a barstool: Instead of standing at the counter to prepare food, try sitting on a barstool (preferably with a back for support).

Significant investment updates

• Lower counters: Counters between 28 and 34 inches from the floor are easier to access from a sitting position. Figure on a 30-inch width for accessible counter workspace.
• Make the sink accessible: You may be able to remove cabinets under the sink, making it wheelchair accessible. Installing the faucet to the side of the sink also makes it easier to reach. Using levers instead of knobs can also help.
• Install an open cooktop: Switching to a cooktop with an open space underneath allows room for a wheelchair. Staggering the burners can help you avoid reaching across hot burners.

Tips for the bathroom

Bathroom changes can have a big impact on self-care and making hygiene safer and easier.

No cost updates

• Keep supplies on low shelves or in baskets: Roll up towels and store them next to the tub for easy access.
• Invite a friend or family member for some DIY: Adjust the height of existing features like towel bars or hooks to make them easier to reach. You can also remove cabinet doors for easier access to items.
• Keep your phone accessible: Designating a spot for your phone, if you have one, ensures that it’s available if you need assistance.

Medium cost updates

• Choose toiletries based on ease: Opt for pumps and squeeze bottles. A long-handled sponge can make it easier to clean your body, and a handheld shower allows you to control the stream of water.
• Invest in a shower chair: Using a plastic shower chair can help you conserve energy by allowing you to sit instead of stand in the shower. Rubber covers on the legs can prevent the chair from sliding around.
• Add a raised toilet seat: Reduce the distance between standing and sitting by raising your toilet seat or placing a commode with arms over the toilet.
• Install a bidet spray: If you have MS with decreased dexterity, you can install a handheld bidet spray on your toilet to ensure optimal cleaning.

Significant investment updates

• Have grab bars installed: A professional can install grab bars can be installed in your shower stall, bathtub, and near your toilet to give you extra leverage when you need it.
• Purchase a transfer tub bench: If you find it challenging to step over the edge of the tub, install a transfer tub bench. Two legs of this bench stand in the tub, and two legs stand on the bathroom floor. Start by sitting on the bench with your legs on the bathroom floor. Lift one leg at a time into the tub. Once your legs are in the tub, edge over until you are sitting in the tub.
• Consider a roll-in shower: If you use a wheelchair, consider installing a roll-in shower, walk-in tub, or hydraulic lift tub.

The takeaway

Awareness of the options available for a more MS-friendly living space can help you make the changes that work best for you, your budget, and your space. You might also consider whether there are resources available to help you make these changes.

Some areas offer grants or programs that provide financial assistance for home updates. You may also be able to find low or no-cost items through local organizations or groups.

Choose what’s easiest for you to start with and take it from there to make your space truly feel like home.

Check out Healthline’s Multiple Sclerosis Resource Center for more ideas.