If you have noticed an elderly family member or friend begin to struggle with daily tasks such as walking down their stairs, cooking, and maintaining their own personal hygiene, then you might be wondering how you can help. By installing a few pieces of equipment around their home and informing them on certain safety measures, you can improve their quality of life as they age. Here are the five best home safety tips to consider.
Have Emergency Numbers Visible
Finding the correct contact number on a mobile phone book can often be difficult to navigate, especially for seniors who are not so tech-savvy, therefore, you should write emergency contact numbers on a label or post-it note next to every home phone or mobile. You should include family and friends that can act as emergency contacts and the number for the hospital and emergency department. This way they are never too far from the help they need.
Upgrade Their Bathroom
The bathroom can pose serious risks for seniors since the slippery surfaces increase the risk of falling and the phone is usually not too close by if they need to call for help. Have grab bars installed so that they can always hold onto something while they walk and put rubber mats in the bathtub and shower to reduce the risk of slipping.
Don’t Forget The Bedroom
This may not seem like a risky place for a senior to be, however, a soft mattress can often prevent them from getting safely out of bed, so be sure to replace this with a firmer one, which will also provide them with greater support. Additionally, you should install grab bars near the bed to help them pull themselves out of bed and ensure that they have a phone at the bedside to use if they really get stuck. You can hire or buy this equipment from companies like bosshardmedical.com.au so you can begin making the bedroom as safe as possible.
Consider Any Stairs
If a senior has stairs in their home and they are becoming increasingly immobile, then it might be worth considering a stairlift. This can be quite a large investment, but it will minimise any injuries caused by stairs such as tripping up or worse, falling down. If the situation isn’t quite so serious yet, then just be sure to check that the railing is secure and able to support the weight of an adult and consider lining each stair with colored tape to differentiate them from one another.
Check-in With Them
Along with helping to make their home a safer place, it is also a good idea to keep checking in on a senior who is struggling to keep them company and ensure that their condition hasn’t deteriorated any further. Especially make sure you drop by when the weather takes a dramatic turn, such as getting extremely hot or cold suddenly, since your loved one might not be prepared.
Watching your parents or elderly friends getting older and more fragile is not always easy to deal with, but you can help by offering little pockets of advice and helping them to prevent any injuries before they happen.
