The last week of August is “National Safe at Home” week. Whether you’ve moved your parent in with you or whether you’re helping your elderly parent continue to live in his own home, you will probably need to make some changes to the home to help your parent stay safe while staying independent. Some changes can be simple home adjustments, while others might entail enlisting help from others to assist your parent in daily living. Having a family member or hiring a home care assistance provider with daily tasks that have become too dangerous for your parent will be one way to help your parent stay safe at home. A home care assistance provider can help with meal prep, taking care of laundry, and many other tasks that may be difficult for your parent to do now without some assistance.
There are also small changes you can make to the home your parent is living in. Here are a few of them.
Replace dangerous flooring
What makes the floor dangerous? Look for edges of carpet or tile that are sticking up and no longer flat. Loose throw rugs can also be a danger by creating a tripping hazard. If your parent needs to use stairs, make sure the stairs have non-slip treads to ensure your parent’s feet don’t slide out from under him.
Finally, an ongoing task to keep floors safe is to keep them clutter-free. Make sure cords don’t travel across the floor or shoes aren’t strewn all over. If you have asked a home care assistance provider to have visits with your parent, you can ask that person to always look at the floors and pick up anything they see that could be tripped over.
Upgrade the bathroom
Depending on your parent’s stability and strength, it might be time to add a shower bench or seat to the shower. You might also consider railings next to the toilet to help your parent both sit and get up safely. You can purchase something that just sits on the floor around the toilet or install railings in the wall. The bathtub is another place to add non-slip treads to help your parent as he gets in and out of the tub.
Install some home automation
It might take a little getting used to but if you can have a “smart” home where all your parent has to do is ask to have the thermostat changed or the lights turned on, you will reduce the risk of your parent hurting himself doing these tasks. You can also show your parent how he can ask for emergency services if he happens to fall or hurt himself but doesn’t have a phone near him. Home automation can be a real lifesaver.
Hire home care assistance aides to provide meal help
Prepping meals can become dangerous if your parent struggles with a knife or has memory issues that may cause him to leave a stove or burner on after it’s been used. If you can’t help yourself, a home care assistance provider can help with both meal prep and making sure your parent is eating well.
Just a few adjustments to the home and how you run it will help your parent have a safe place to live.
If you or a family member need to hire Home Care Assistance Services in Great Neck NY or the surrounding areas, contact the caring professionals at Star Multi Care Services today at (631)956-8835. We are the Right Choice for Home Health Care Services!
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