How to Keep Seniors Safe at Home
Learn more about keeping Seniors safe at home.
As the old expression goes, “there’s no place like home.” For seniors, many of whom have lived in the same place for decades, this is especially true. However, as they age, some seniors have difficulty maintaining their independence and remaining safe in their own homes.
There are a number of steps that family members can take to help their aging loved one live safely in their own residence as long as possible. Let’s look at a handful of great ways to help a senior stay safe at home.
Help with Mobility
Because falling is one of the most dangerous occurrences for seniors living in their own homes, helping a loved one with mobility issues is of utmost importance. Having a sturdy cane or walker available can mean the difference between safely moving about and breaking a hip or sustaining a head injury from a fall.
Avoiding Kitchen Accidents
Another major area that some seniors struggle with is being able to safely function in their home kitchens. Burns from the stove are a huge concern, in addition to the tendency some older people have to drop food or spill liquids. Help your loved one by preparing meals ahead of time that can be simply heated up in the microwave and do not need a lot of effort in order to eat.
Also, place a light-weight grabber/reacher tool in the kitchen, which will allow your loved one to easily pick up any dropped items from a standing position. This will help prevent them having to bend over and risking a dangerous fall.
Illumination
Something as simple as making sure that all bedrooms, hallways and bathrooms are well lit will be a huge help in the effort to keep your loved one safer in their home. Falls often happen because older people can’t see where they are going while walking. Install motion sensitive switches that will turn on lights when a person enters an area.
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Medication
Many seniors take medication on a daily basis, so it’s extremely important that your loved one can easily access their medicine each day. Instead of having multiple bottles sitting on the counter top, purchase a weekly pill organizer for them.
These products can be amazingly helpful in separating medicine not only by the day of the week, but also the time of day it needs to be taken. Each week, help your loved one put the correct medication in each day’s holder in the pill organizer. Show them that the morning pill row is colored differently than the section designed to hold night time medication. Also, make water readily available at the location that they take their medicine each day.
Emergency Alert Necklace
Utilizing today’s technology can be a great help for seniors still living at home. There are a number of medical alert devices on the market today that can be worn as a light weight necklace. Should an accident or medical emergency occur, your loved one can simply press the button on the necklace to alert first responders that help is needed.
You can also set up the device so that the company providing the service will also notify you right away if the button is pressed. A medical alert necklace can bring great peace of mind to both your loved one and family members by knowing that help is just a button press away.
Frontier Senior Living is Here to Help
Family members should do all they can to help their older loved ones remain safely at home for as long as possible. Should the time come when your loved one cannot live at home anymore, Frontier is here to help.
We have assisted many families understand what options are available for their loved one with regard to senior living communities. If you would like to learn more about our services, we cordially invite you to visit one of our properties, take a tour and speak with our friendly and compassionate staff. Learn more about Independent Living, Assisted Living, and Memory Care.
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Washington Gardens Memory Care
9000 Southwest 91st Avenue Tigard, Oregon 97223 (503) 213-6494 Levels of Care:Assisted Living, Memory Care
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201 Northwest 78th Street Vancouver, Washington 98665 (360) 803-4546 Levels of Care:Assisted Living
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8915 Southeast Monterey Avenue Happy Valley, Oregon 97086 (503) 773-6670 Levels of Care:Assisted Living, Memory Care