Making Your Elderly Parent's Life Easier In The Home
If you have an elderly parent who lives on their own in their own home, and you have noticed that they are starting to display signs that they are having some difficulties getting around as easily as they had in the past, there are a few steps you can take to help them make things easier. Taking these precautions may help keep your parent from needing to go to a living assistance facility.
Hire Home Care Service
A home care service will have workers come to your parent's home to take care of tasks that your elderly parent has trouble doing on their own. They would be able to prepare healthy meals, bring your parent to the store or doctor's appointments, and do cleaning around the home. They also assist with showering, bathing and other hygienic tasks if your parent is a bit unsteady on their feet.
They are there to keep your parent company by reading to them, playing games and engaging in conversation. Some home care giving services have different shifts for their workers and others have caregivers that actually live in the home with your parent. You would have the peace of mind that someone is always available to watch after them.
Make Some Safety Improvements
Placing rails in the bathroom area as well as in the hallways will help your parent get from place to place within the home. Install rails next to the toilet, in the bathtub and near staircases to help give your parent extra security. Replace small staircases with ramps so your parent can walk to another level without worrying about slipping down steps. Install a motorized chair to handle larger staircases.
Remove all loose floor mats from the hallways and install permanent carpeting instead. In the bathroom, use mats with non-skid backs so they stay in place easier. In the shower, add some non-skid tread strips to the porcelain floor. These can be bought in a variety of colors to match your parent's decor.
Make sure there is adequate lighting throughout the home so your parent can see where they are stepping. Replace bulbs with higher wattage, if necessary. Put some touch lamps in a few rooms so they can be tapped to turn on instead of fumbling for a switch.
Add Some Comforts
Consider buying your parent a lift chair for the living room area. They would have the benefit of pushing a button to help hoist them to a standing position with ease. These chairs can also be used to sleep in without worry that you will not be able to get yourself back up without help. Help your parent shop for a pair of comfortable shoes to help them get around the home without falling. Shoes or slippers with non-slid soles that can be slipped over the foot without needing to tie or buckle them, work best.
To learn more, contact a company like Devoted Guardians.
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