When caring for aging parents at home, there are several essential tasks to prioritize for their wellbeing. These include removing fall hazards such as throwing rugs, clutter, etc. Of course, you will also need to consider medical alert systems like wearables, invest in home security, and consider the overall physical and mental wellbeing of your parents.
Not all elderly individuals will need the same environmental adjustments, as there are various age-related conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Each age-related condition will impose a unique set of challenges for the senior. But even if age-related health conditions are not present, aging still increases a gradual loss of physical and mental functions, making everyday life a bit more of a struggle.
Fortunately, some home safety essentials out there can eliminate various hazards, while others can enhance peace of mind and boost the quality of life.
So, if you are caring for an aging parent, consider these home safety essentials to transform the living environment and make your home more accessible.
Grab Bars And Handrails
ADA compliant grab bars and handrails can make a massive difference to the accessibility level of any home. These affordable installations dramatically enhance safety for elderly individuals and even disabled individuals.
When installing grab bars and handrails in your home to enhance safety, consider key points in your home where they would be more beneficial. More often than not, it’s best to install these in the bathroom, the kitchen, and by steps and stairs.
Non-Slip Flooring
Non-slip flooring is affordable, and it can effectively help prevent slips and falls. Because slips and falls can be a lot more severe for fragile individuals, carefully consider all the areas in your home where slips are a notable concern. The bathroom, kitchen, home entrance, and steps are common areas to consider.
Home Monitoring Systems
Home monitoring systems are also exceptionally beneficial for senior care. It’s not possible to keep a close eye on your aging parent right throughout the day for most. But, unfortunately, accidents and health emergencies don’t conform to convenient times of the day; these instances are beyond our realm of control.
As a result, home monitoring systems can make a massive difference for senior carers regarding peace of mind. These systems will keep a close eye on your aging parents for you. Thanks to AI adaptions, senior monitoring systems offer features like fall detection and various others that help identify emergency situations and instantly alert medical teams and carers.
Personal Alert System
Personal alert systems are excellent senior care solutions. These wearable tech devices can read vital signs, sleep patterns, and even stress levels. And even though some entry-level wearable tech devices are suitable for everyone, it’s best to opt for wearable devices that are specifically designed for the elderly.
Devices that are the most suitable for seniors will offer more valuable features, such as GPS tracking, patient monitoring, emergency SOS systems, and notifications and reminders. All these features can benefit the quality of life for seniors.
Medical Devices
Home use medical devices is a pretty broad range of gadgets, and many of them can enhance the quality of life and boost safety. These include gadgets like automatic pill dispensers, blood pressure monitors, heart-rate devices, and so many others.
The best way to decide which devices are best is to assess the overall health needs of your aging parents.
Bathroom Transformations
Because senior individuals grow more fragile as they age, the bathroom tends to become more and more of a dangerous place. Unfortunately, there are so many safety hazards in the typical bathroom that navigating this area alone eventually becomes impossible for some elderly individuals.
Fortunately, modifying a bathroom to make it more accessible is possible. By installing handrails, grab bars, and installing a walk-in bathtub, TipTub, or step-less bathtub, seniors and disabled individuals can maintain bathroom independence. What’s more, maintaining this kind of independence can also assist with self-confidence and help fragile individuals lead a higher quality of life overall as a direct result.
When caring for aging parents at home, it’s essential to make specific changes to the living environment. Investing time and effort towards enhancing accessibility at home is vital in reducing various risks. Because aging individuals become more and more fragile over time, they need more from their environment.
Fortunately, with so many significant advancements in senior care, there are so many practical options out there worth considering. And while the essentials mentioned above are worth considering, there are several other solutions out there that can further enhance home accessibility for seniors.
