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Helping Our Elderly Parents Stay Safe and Healthy As They Age At Home

Written by Posted On Thursday, 17 August 2017 23:54
Helping Our Elderly Parents Stay Safe and Healthy As They Age At Home Image credit: Pixabay, user terimakasih0

It's not difficult to imagine that as our parents and loved ones age, they may experience physical or mental deterioration. Caring for an aging parent, grandparent or loved one is not easy. However, as much as they devoted their time taking care of us when we were growing up, we should also do the same for them as they are growing old.

Although many of us prefer having our loved ones stay at home with us to ensure their safety, wellness and comfort, we have to admit that we may not have the proper environment and training to fulfil some of their basic needs. Moreover, it can also be stressful to the family as a whole. We cannot ensure that we will always be with our aging loved one to prevent slips and falls. However, we can make sure that the homes that they live in are safe and comfortable for them.

Making homes safe for seniors

We must prepare our parents' or senior loved ones' homes in a way that addresses potential dangers. We can make changes in key areas or rooms to ensure the elderly will not experience slips and falls. We can also give caregivers or local emergency responders an overview of the house so they can pinpoint hazard areas. By considering the design of the house, we can determine which areas need change to make them more useable for our elderly loved ones. Here are some specifics to consider:

Lighting

Older people have poor eyesight, especially at night. Some are even blind when it is dark. To decrease hazards for your parents, change dim lights to brighter ones, particularly in stairways and hallways. Install night-lights in the bedroom where you parents sleep and bathrooms that they frequent.

Call an electrician or professional handyman to evaluate your light bulbs whether the bulbs are the appropriate size and wattage for the lamp. Ensure that lamps do not trap heat when switched on. This may cause overheating and may lead to fire incidents.

Stairs

Falling is the number one cause of injury and death for older people. Convince your parents to stay on the first level or a one-storey apartment if they are moving in a retirement community. If they are adamant about staying on the upper floor, ensure that handrails can be firmly gripped. Also, handrails should be sturdy in place and that they extend from the top to the bottom of the staircase. Check that the stairs are well lit in both a daytime and nighttime environment. Where appropriate, add a reflective strip to each stair step, so that your senior loved one can see and differentiate each step.

Depending on the level of difficulty your senior loved one has with going up and down the stairs, consider installing a mini-elevator or a conveyor at the stairs for them to use to go up and down the stairs.

Bathrooms

Accidental slips are common to elderly people when they bathe. Bathtubs, shower rooms are slippery when wet. Glass shower doors, slippery and tall counter and toilet bowls are dangerous to your elderly parents. Place non-slip mats in the bathroom. Install handrails in the bathtub and near toilet seats will decrease the risk of bathroom-related injuries due to accidental slips.

In case of emergencies

In case of emergency situations, have a life alert or medical alert system in place (more info). The elderly alone at home, no matter how we prepare our homes to keep them safe, may still be at risk. Accidents or medical events like strokes or heart attacks may still happen and you can't expect them to dial the telephone and call for help. In this case, every second counts.

That when life alert or PERS or Personal emergency response system can then come into play. When emergency arises, the senior can press the transmitter's button to call for help without reaching for a telephone. An alert button can be worn around the neck, on the wrist, belt buckle or strapped on their wheelchair. This system can provide peace of mind for their caregivers and loved ones.

PERS systems may include a radio transmitter and a console connected to the telephone. Updated devices may also include things like GPS capability so responders can easily locate the emergency. There can also be an automatic fall detection feature that determines if an accident has occurred. This way, even independent living for seniors may not be as worrisome as it seems.

Helping our parents and elderly loved ones stay safe and comfortable at home may seem difficult at first. With proper information, we can help make their lives safer and more comfortable. By doing so, we also make our families' lives stress and worry free.

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Jason Kim manages a professional handyman business. He enjoys working with his team members and interacting with different clients. In his free time, he likes to blog about his experiences and share tips on making the home a better living space.

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