Making your loved one’s home elderly-friendly reduces hazards that could lead to criminal behavior, helps them live comfortably, and saves injuries from tripping and falling. For example, ensure all pathways are well-lit, especially in the bathroom and near staircases, and remove tripping hazards like area rugs.
Also, ask a safety expert about flattening thresholds and adding indoor ramps.
Keep It Clean
Clean and sanitized living spaces can reduce the risk of frightful emergency room visits. Germs are teeming everywhere, and they can cause infections ranging from mild to severe in seniors.
Remove throw rugs that are trip hazards and clear pathways from clutter like books, pet toys, and clothing. Consider adding handrails where needed and installing a nightlight to assist with navigation around the home.
A light housekeeping service or in-home caregiver can regularly keep your loved one’s home clean and tidy. It helps them maintain a healthy and comfortable environment while providing companionship.
Install Safety Devices
Elderly care at home Palm Springs CA is popular with many seniors because it’s comfortable, familiar, and safe. But minor safety hazards in the home can become more significant as a senior’s mobility and reaction time slows down.
Some safety devices help prevent falls and detect them so that they can be responded to quickly. These can include bed or chair occupancy pressure sensors, which raise alerts if someone leaves their seat for too long, and a fall detector that can notify family members or in-home caregivers of a possible fall or wandering situation.
Install Grab Bars
Grab bars are graspable bars that offer support when someone needs to stand or move around in the bathroom, near the toilet, shower area, and elsewhere. They help prevent falls and injuries for seniors and people with limited mobility or physical disabilities.
Installing grab bars in the bathroom helps seniors safely wash themselves and bathe without requiring any assistance from caregivers. Seated showers and customizable showerheads are other helpful options that can further reduce the need for assistance.
The good news is that these simple home modifications are inexpensive and can be found in various styles to match any décor. You can even find textured grab bars that grip better on wet surfaces.
Install Lights
When caring for a senior, it’s important to look at the environment in their home and find out what may pose a risk. Many falls can be prevented by taking down or removing area rugs that could cause a fall, tucking away electrical cords, and installing handrails on staircases.
Proper lighting in rooms is also essential. It can make it easier for seniors to adapt to sudden lighting changes and see well enough to perform everyday tasks.
Make the Floors Slip-Proof
Keeping floors clear of tripping hazards is important for elderly care at home. It means removing area rugs (or tacking them down) and keeping all wires out of the way. It can also help to add non-slip strips to slippery areas like the shower or kitchen floor.
It’s also a good idea to re-assess your loved one’s furniture and ensure they are not blocking any pathways or doorways. It can prevent injury if they need to move quickly. Lastly, consider adding easy-access seating to key areas of the home, such as close to the front door when they need to put on shoes.
Add Storage Space
Keeping an older person’s space well-organized and accessible is an important part of a comfortable environment. It can help reduce stress and prevent injury by reducing the need to reach up or bend down to get items.
It can also help eliminate tripping hazards, which are common for seniors. Things like decorative items, cords, and rugs can easily become tripping hazards, so they should be moved out of the way or removed altogether.
In addition, things like kitchenware and medications should be placed in easily-reachable areas. It minimizes the need for reaching overhead or bending down, which can cause pain and strain for an older person.
Make It Easy to Move
Keeping your elderly loved one at home is a great way to promote their independence and decrease the risk of accidents. By incorporating essential safety products such as grab bars, commodes, and bedroom safety products, you can help your elderly loved one live safely at home.
If your elderly parents have many items stacked high in closets or clutter around their bedroom, consider clearing some things to make space. It may require some difficult conversations, but it should be addressed for their well-being and comfort.
