Seniors often prefer to age in the comfort of home, where they can be in familiar surroundings and have space for all their possessions. Though aging in place might seem relaxing, the average home can be full of hazards for seniors. Follow these tips to make home a safer place for your senior loved one.
Make Sure the Floors Are Even & Remove Tripping Hazards
Some seniors have balance issues that can make it challenging to navigate uneven flooring. Get rid of items such as rugs, power cords, and low stools that raise the risk of falls. It’s also a good idea to have smooth transitions between different rooms instead of raised thresholds that could make your loved one trip.
Many seniors prefer aging in place over moving to assisted living facilities. If your senior loved one needs assistance to remain safe and comfortable while living at home, reach out to Ambience In-Home Care, a leading homecare agency. Our dedicated in-home caregivers can assist with meal prep, bathing and grooming, exercise, medication reminders, and many other important tasks.
Install Handles Instead of Knobs
Seniors with arthritis or diminished eyesight often have difficulty using the knobs found on cabinets, faucets, and doors. Try to install handles that can easily be pulled with the whole hand instead of requiring your loved one to make fine movements with individual fingers.
Provide Accessible Storage
Many accidents happen while seniors try to reach very high or low shelves. You can lower your loved one’s risk of falls by storing most of his or her possessions at safer levels. Seniors often find it easy to reach objects stored somewhere between shoulder and waist height.
Include Bright Automatic Lights
Age-related vision issues such as macular degeneration can make it difficult to see in dim light, which could lead to accidents when seniors get up to go to the bathroom during the night. Make sure each room in the home is adequately lit, and consider installing automatic lights so your loved one doesn’t fall while looking for the switch. In addition to making the home safer, installing automatic lights will make it easier to perform daily tasks.
Vision impairment and other health issues can make it difficult for seniors to manage everyday tasks. Whether your elderly loved one needs part-time assistance with basic household chores or you need a break from your caregiving duties, the Richardson respite care experts at Ambience In-Home Care are here to help. All of our respite care services are backed with a 100% satisfaction guarantee, there are no hidden fees in our contracts, and we never ask our clients to sign long-term contracts.
Add Safety Features on Appliances
A lot of common household appliances could become difficult to use if your loved one is unable to properly monitor them. Consider adding timers or automatic shutoff switches to turn off stoves, heaters, and ovens if they’re left on for too long. It can also be helpful to add a temperature control knob to the hot water heater to prevent scalding.
Make the Bathroom Safe
Most accidents happen in bathrooms, so you should focus your efforts in this area. Place anti-slip stickers on tiles and bathtub floors, and consider adding a grab bar by the toilet. Some seniors may benefit from a shower seat or tub lift.
If your elderly loved one needs help maintaining a high quality of life while aging in place, reach out to Ambience In-Home Care, a trusted provider of Richardson senior home care. Our caregivers provide transportation to and from medical appointments and social events, nutritious meal preparation, assistance with daily exercise, and help with everyday tasks like bathing, grooming, and light housekeeping. To learn about our high-quality in-home care services, give us a call at (469) 535-6825 today.