The elderly are prone to home injuries. According to Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, millions of seniors aged 65 and above fall each year. Falls can result in moderate to severe injuries, such as brain traumas and back fractures, and increase the chances of early death. Seniors think they can still take care of themselves, but you’ve seen the signs that they need to be monitored.
Few people gleefully anticipate this need before going away – and some even deny that it’s needed. However, avoidance can lead you into a caregiver role sooner or later. A slip in the kitchen or a collision caused by a glass door can precipitate a flood of rapid changes that you don’t have time to handle.
Suddenly, you could find yourself scrambling to take out credit cards to pay mother’s bills while she’s being treated for a dislocated hip, or tangling with her insurance firm to figure out why the X-ray was not covered, and thinking deep down inside about getting her into assisted-living. Guilt surrounds you because you never wanted this to happen to her. You wish you would have kept her movement and health in check while you were away.
There would be instances in your life when you need to go away from home for business, leisure, and other purposes. But if you’ve got older adults at home, it is important to keep an eye on them and take precautions before you leave home, especially if they’re dealing with loss – loss of independence, mental loss, and physical loss.
Here’s what you can do:
Prepare physically
Install safety modifications according to the needs of the elderly. This can include lighted stairways, night lights and well-lit bathroom. You can also add railings and grab bars in different rooms and along the stairways. Make sure there is no clutter in the rooms they’re likely to visit/be in.
Install ramps and throw away any rugs. If you’ve elderly with physical disabilities, consider installing a shower chair. Fall detection devices can also be used to mitigate the risk of fall and slip injuries, and contact emergency services quickly.
Monitor their activity
Nothing will give you a greater peace of mind than seeing in real-time what your loved ones are up to. The site http://home-security.io/ and other home security solutions can make this possible, while also giving you the added advantage to monitor the safety of your house. Like any homeowner and caring adult, you can take such measures to ensure the well-being of your belongings and family. The potential threats that can be avoided, in addition to the injury to elderly, include fire, burglary, and carbon monoxide.
Modern systems allow users to use wireless remote keychain to activate and deactivate the system, while multiple access codes can be given to ensure that elderly can still access everything at home, so you don’t have to make a trip back him just to let them in.
Talk with your neighbors
Your neighbors will be the closest to reach your family members. Talk to them about getting mom or dad to appointments, grocery shopping, and helping them in times of need. This task can be easy if you’ve a good relationship with your neighbors. Also, you can repay the favor later on.
If your parents need extra physical care, such as with bathing, you can consider the option of taking community health services.