Home caring for an elderly person you love is a most rewarding task. It gives us an opportunity to express our gratitude for all those years of love and support they’ve given us. But with that responsibility comes a heavyweight, ensuring that they are safe and healthy. Any one of us can find ourselves in an accident, but the likelihood of such happening is higher for older adults as age-related changes in mobility, vision, and cognitive function can put them at a greater risk, which is why it is important to create a safe and comfortable home environment.
Here are some critical safety tips to remember:
Reduce Fall Risks:
Proper Lighting: Use higher-wattage bulbs in commonly used spaces such as halls, stairways, and bathrooms. Use motion-sensor lights in dark corners and entryways. You may also want to place nightlights in hallways and bathrooms, for easy navigation during late-night trips.
Hazard Removal: Routinely clear walkways, floors, and stairways of tripping hazards, such as loose rugs, cords, and furniture. Fasten loose rugs to the floor with double-sided tape or rug grippers. You can also hide cords away nicely and keep them out of walkways. Remember to keep the furniture in place and to keep the rooms from becoming overcrowded.
Grab Bar Installation: Install grab bars next to the toilet, in the bathtub/shower, and on the staircase for additional support and stability. Make sure grab bars are anchored properly in the wall studs. You might also think of putting up grab bars at different heights for diversity.
Keep Non-Slip Mats: Always use non-slip mats inside the bathtub, as well as in the bathtub, to avoid slips and falls. Add non-slip strips to the bottom of the bathtub or shower. Use non-slip rugs or mats in areas like the kitchen and bathroom as well.
Wear Proper Shoes: Ensure they are wearing square non-slip shoes with a strong grip. Avoid slippers with thin soles or that slip off easily. Choose shoes with rubber or non-slip soles for extra grip.
Fire Safety:
Smoke Detector Installation and Maintenance: Arrange smoke detectors on each level of the house, including in bedrooms, hallways, and the basement. Check smoke detectors monthly to verify if they’re working properly. Change batteries in smoke detectors at least twice per year, or as per manufacturer directions, and replace smoke detectors every 10 years.
Fire Extinguisher Location and Usage: Keep a fire extinguisher close at hand in the kitchen and other places in your home. Make sure everyone in the household knows where the fire extinguishers are located.
Escape Plan Development and Practice: Work with your loved ones to develop a fire escape plan and practise it, including two escape routes from every room. Create an outside meeting area away from the home where everyone can meet if there is a fire. Practise the escape plan each time you do fire drills!
Medication Management:
Keep It Locked: Medications should always be kept in a locked cabinet or drawer, away from heat, moisture, and direct sunlight. Store medicines up and away and out of sight of young children. When possible, employ child-resistant containers.
Medication Reminders: Use pill reminders. Create reminders on a calendar or smartphone, or use a digital pill dispenser. Have a family member, caregiver, or home health aide assist with medication reminders.
Add Your Regular Medication Reviews: Make an appointment to get regular medication reviews with the doctor to check for drug interactions, side effects, and dosages. Take all medicines with you to the doctor’s visit, including over-the-counter and supplements. Have a current and accurate list of all medications being taken.
Using Technology for Safety and Convenience:
Medical Alert Systems: A medical alert system featuring a pendant or wristband so that your loved ones can easily call for help in the event of an emergency. Medical alert systems offer reassurance to the elderly and their caretakers.
Wellness Checks: Make a routine to check in with your loved one, whether this is in person or over the phone, just to ensure their safety and well-being. Share video calls with good friends or family who live far away.
Smart Home Integration: Discover how to use smart home devices to track activity levels, alert you to unusual events, and control lighting and temperature from a distance. Adding smart home devices can go a long way toward giving an elderly person and their caregivers more peace of mind.
Preventing Wandering:
Home Security: Put window and door alarms on to notify you if your loved one tries to take off or wander out of the house without realising it. You might also want to install a security system, with cameras to record activity in and around the home.
Safe Outdoor Spaces: Create a safe and enclosed outdoor space for your loved one to get fresh air safely if possible. This might be a backyard with a fence, a porch with a screen, or a specified area with a patio. Clear the outdoor space from hazards such as uneven surfaces, slippery passages, or even tripping points.
Remember, compassionate care means more than just keeping someone safe physically. It’s about providing a caring and nurturing environment where your elderly loved ones can feel valued, respected, and at ease. With these suggestions and a good open conversation in place, you can help make sure this person you love will have a happy, healthy, safe home life. When you work with a trusted home care provider, it is also possible to provide the best complex care to patients who have chronic illnesses and disabilities or other major, ongoing healthcare challenges. It is advisable to look for home care providers who can accommodate changing needs and provide flexible care options.
