Important Safety Feature For Elderly At Home – Elderly people in the home are most likely to be injured by slipping and falling, but other risks include fire, carbon monoxide poisoning, and other injuries caused by hazards inside the home. The following are important safety features for elderly at home:
7 Important Safety Feature For Elderly At Home
- Alarm: Your home’s alarm system is crucial for letting you know if something unusual is going on. There are now a variety of home security alarms available on the market as a result of technological advancements. These alarms are made to meet your safety requirements. Take, for instance, the smoke alarm which sounds a beep and alerts you if it detects abnormal levels of smoke.
In a similar vein, motion sensors alert you if there is movement in the front or back of your house. Due to the fact that excessive releases of this gas can be life-threatening when combined with heat or fire, the carbon monoxide alarm is another excellent tool. When the house has more carbon monoxide than the recommended percentage, it starts to beep.
Nowadays, many home alarms can also be connected to your smartphone, making it easier to reach your home and save your family in the event of an emergency.
- Lights: Do all of the entrances and exits have lights outside of them? Is the exterior hallway or sidewalk level? Are there any areas of broken concrete, free blocks, sheets, or mats?
Repairing or removing hazards is frequently simple and inexpensive after they have been identified. Advice and the necessary supplies can be obtained from home improvement centers and hardware stores. By addressing the discovered hidden dangers within the home, a significant number of injuries and even fatalities can be avoided.
A home with good lighting not only feels more welcoming and warm, but it also feels safer. Bathrooms and kitchens with clean, bright light make showering safer and cooking a pleasure, and rooms with balanced lighting make hazards easier to see, avoid, or correct. Ideally, you should include both task and general overhead lighting. Without having to fumble around in the dark for a lamp or a switch, general lighting can be connected to a motion sensor to turn on automatically.
Upgrading the home’s light switches might be a good idea; Rocker switches can make your fixtures look better and be easier to use. Investments in task lighting over the sink and chopping areas, hobby tables, workbenches, and laundry are wise. These lights can be hardwired, plug-ins that are easy to install, or strip lights that are tucked under cabinets.
Keep an eye on the closets: Whether it is battery-powered, installed, or plug-in, bright lighting in a closet makes it easy to find clothes and eliminates the need to search in the dark for a favorite sweater.
READ: Home Safety Assessment For Elderly
Exterior lighting is also important! Make sure there is enough lighting to make unlocking the door a quick and simple process, and think about installing floodlights with motion sensors so that people who come home late can find their way to the door. When the lighting is in place, think about the bulbs that will be installed. Lamps made of halogen can become extremely hot and pose a fire risk.
Despite not being as hot as halogen bulbs, incandescent bulbs will need to be changed frequently. In addition to having a much longer lifespan than incandescent bulbs, LED bulbs will also help you save money on energy costs.
- Buy a smart security system for your home:
Putting resources into one of the most mind-blowing home security frameworks can make any home more secure, yet on account of an old occupant, they give extra advantages. A smart home security system lets the resident control the lighting and door locks, making it simple for them to make sure everything is locked and turned off before going to bed without having to climb the stairs again. Seniors can check to see who is at the door before opening it or decide not to open it if they don’t recognize the visitor with doorbell cameras that connect to devices.
In addition, connected voice-activated assistants give residents the option to call for assistance in the event that they do not have access to a phone right away. These options include dialing a phone to reach a friend or family member, calling an ambulance or the police, or summoning a family member who is elsewhere in the house. Adding door and window sensors or outdoor cameras to the system can give elderly people whose hearing may be deteriorating a lot of peace of mind because they can be sure that the monitored system will tell them and the police if there is a break-in.
- Bathroom safety features: To avoid scalding, set the water heater’s thermostat no higher than 120 degrees Fahrenheit; to make it easier and safer to move around, install grab bars in the shower and near the toilet; to prevent slipping in the bathtub, place rubber mats there; if you have difficulty getting in and out of your bathtub or toilet, ask your provider to assist you in purchasing a specialized tub chair, bench, or raised toilet seat.
- Carbon monoxide detector: Never attempt to heat your home with a stove, oven, or grill because these items can emit carbon monoxide, a deadly gas that you can’t see or smell. Ensure that every bedroom has a carbon monoxide detector nearby, and test and change the battery twice a year.
- Medicine Cabinet: Medicines should be kept in a safe and secure place, and the medicine dispenser must be functional. Automatic pill dispensers like MedSmart keep the elderly safe from accidental overdoses by sending reminders and easy-to-follow instructions. This device also alerts you if a dosage is missed.
- Grabber: Every senior should have grab bars installed in their bathroom, particularly around the shower and toilet. A set of toilet rails, a free-standing set of rails that wraps around the toilet and provides you with something to hold onto as you raise and lower yourself, may be more helpful if your toilet is not next to a corner. A grabber is essentially a long handle with a “hook” on the end that assists you with getting to things that are far off. Most grabbers are made of plastic or aluminum, and some of them have telescoping arms that can be adjusted in length.
Considerations when caring for an Elderly Parent
Prior to taking on the responsibility of caring for an elderly parent, there are a number of things you need to take into consideration, including both your own well-being and the well-being of your parent. When you agree to take care of your parent, keep these things in mind.
- Your current level of work-life balance. If you are having trouble juggling work and family life right now, caring for an elderly parent will not make things any easier. If you already work long hours and have a packed schedule, it will only get harder to avoid burnout. You might want to inquire about how your employer handles time off for family obligations and discuss ways to fit your caregiving responsibilities into your schedule.
- What Kind of Care Is Really Required for Your Parent? Discuss the most appropriate level of care with your parent’s doctor. Your parent may just require assistance with meal preparation or daily monitoring. Or, she might require skilled medical care that lasts longer. While you might be willing to take care of your elderly parent on your own, an assisted living or nursing home might be a better option. Caregiving roles vary.
- Is your parent in favor of a plan for caregivers? It’s possible that your parent doesn’t think he’s ready to get help. You might think that your parent’s health changes are bigger than they really are. Talk to your parent about the things he needs before you take on the role of caregiver. Ask him if he can cook for himself, bathe on his own, or believes his physical health has deteriorated. Having this conversation with your parent will assist you in devising a strategy that is agreeable to all parties.
The best way to prepare for caring for an elderly parent is to consider both your current situation and the situation of your parent, as well as how your circumstances would change if you assumed this role.
READ: 8 Home Lighting Tips For Elderly Homeowners
- How healthy are you physically, emotionally, and financially? You can’t really like another person assuming that you’re unfortunate yourself. This includes your physical and emotional health as well as all other levels of well-being. Your finances are another thing to think about. Before agreeing to take care of your aging parent, take a hard look at how well you are meeting your own requirements. You will need to make other arrangements if you come to the conclusion that you are unable to effectively care for your parent.
- The Roles That Others in the Family Can Play While you are the primary caregiver, other members of the family might be able to take on some of the duties. Even if your family lives far away, don’t assume you’ll have to do everything on your own. Siblings who live in different states can, at the very least, offer moral or financial support, and they can even take vacations to stay with your parents so you can take a break. Before care begins, the best way to set expectations and schedules is at a family meeting.
