The vast majority of seniors wish to remain at home surrounded by memories and familiarity, but not all homes were built with safety in mind. More specifically, especially older homes, they weren’t built with the health and safety of aging seniors in mind. Despite the familiarity, homes can be a challenge and an opportunity for accidents. The good news is there are steps that adult children and caregivers can take to help mitigate potential danger.
Below is a list of 10 organizing tips to help your seniors safely age-in-place in the environment they know and love:
1. Store Items at Waist Height
As joints, strength and balance deteriorates, bending down and reaching above is difficult. All commonly used items and food should be stored at waist level in easy to reach places that won’t cause discomfort to access. Items that are not as frequently used can be stored higher, lower, or behind and can be accessed when help is available.
2. Avoid Clutter Near Stairways
Ideally, seniors should avoid stairs as much as possible, but this is not always possible depending on the home and when the resident senior(s) is not able to stay on the first floor. If stairs are necessity, access to the stairs and along the stairway need to clutter free. Stairways should also be accompanied by a sturdy handrail for balance support.
3. Light the Way
Eyesight grows worse as we age so having good lighting throughout the home is essential – this includes during the day and throughout the night for seniors needing to get up in the middle of the night to access the bathroom or take medication. Make sure all the bulbs are fresh and light switches are not blocked. Plugin lighting is always recommended as a cost-effective enhancement to baseboards, hallways, landings, and even along countertops.
4. Consider rolling Carts
Rolling carts and tables are very convenient to help seniors move items in the kitchen like groceries or larger items, but they can also be helpful in living rooms and seating areas. Seniors can more easily push tables out of their way when trying to get up and out of their chair or pull items into place when seated.
5. Keep Important Documents in the Same Place
As the old adage goes, “Everything has a place and everything in its place,” it couldn’t be more applicable when it comes to saving and accessing important documents. Keeping essential documents and items in one place, possibly in a “wellness folder,” makes it easier to access in case of an emergency or simply for convenient access. Various folders should include insurance policies, social security card, passport, and more.
6. Medication List on the Fridge and Other
Many seniors take a number of medications, and keeping track can only get harder, especially for seniors with a fading memory. Placing a well-organized and itemized list on the refrigerator and other common locations is a common-sense strategy that can be critical to helping seniors, visiting caregivers or family with important reminders. In the event of an emergency, medication lists can prove essential to helping emergency personnel identify medications the senior is currently and/or recently taken.
7. Remove Area Rugs
In addition to stairs, tripping over area rugs is one of the most commonly identified causes for falls in the home. Because of the change in elevation and their lack of securement, area rugs can be a challenge for seniors with poor mobility and failing eyesight. Area rugs are not helpful for ambulatory seniors, those using a cane or walker, and those with a wheelchair. To the best of your ability, remove area rugs or limit their use in high traffic areas.
8. Elevate Toilet Seats
With waning strength and balance, it’s not uncommon for seniors to have difficulty toileting. Getting up and down can cause strain to joints and increase the chance for a loss of balance. Extended toilet seats are readily available and can offer significant convenience to helping seniors avoid the need to extended bending. Many extended seats also include safety bars to further help seniors with balance and bracing.
9. Safety Bar in The Bathroom
In addition to safety bars on extended toilet seats, “grab bars” should be installed in showers and along walls where seniors are likely needing helping with bracing, bending, or getting up and down.
10. Establish a Division of Labor and Oversight
Creating a plan for both care and oversight that might include the help of adult children or grandchildren, friends and neighbors, caregivers, and possible social workers is critical to caring for and checking in on seniors. Some people will be more involved than others, and that is to be expected, but especially as seniors age and the need for more direct assistance increases it is all more important that a legitimate plan is in place to call, visit, and literally help and monitor in the home. The better and more coordinated the plan with all participating family members, friends, and caregivers the better the care and preservation of the loved one.
If you or a loved one are in need of direct personal care assistance and wish to remain at home, aging in place, contact Integrity Home Care Agency. We welcome the opportunity to schedule a FREE in-home assessment to meet and evaluate your direct needs and expectations to develop a specific and customized Care Plan. Contact our office at (214) 551-6318 with any questions and to further discuss what you can expect with personal home care.