If your senior loved one stills lives alone, you will need to make sure that his or her home is as safe as possible to help prevent in-home accidents or injuries. If you believe that your loved one is still at risk for an accident in the home despite your best efforts at "accident proofing", it may be time to consider placement in an assisted living community. Here are some ways to keep your elderly loved one safe from in-home accidents:
Transition Strips
A transition strip is a plastic, metal, rubber, or wooden strip that divides two rooms of different heights. For example, if your senior loved one's living room has plush thick carpeting but the dining room has a hardwood floor, the elderly loved one may trip when entering the room that has a higher floor, in this case, the living room with the plush carpeting.
It is for this reason that a transition strip should be installed where the two rooms meet so that the transition from one room to another will be smoother and more even. To reduce the risk for accidents even further, make sure that the aging adult always wears proper-fitting shoes when walking around the house so that he or she does not trip, or slip and fall.
Evaluate Pet Ownership
Owning a dog or a cat can do wonders for both the physical and mental health of elderly adults. If, however, your aging loved one has poor eyesight, limited mobility, chronic pain, or cognitive deficits, living with a pet may lead to a serious accident or injury.
Seniors may not see the animal or its toys on the floor, and because of this, may trip and fall. In addition to this, the pet may have an accident on the floor, and if the elderly individual does not see it, or is unable to clean it up, may slip and fall.
If you believe that the aging adult is no longer able to care for the pet, consider re-homing the animal with a trusted family member or friend. If you do find another home for the senior's pet, be sure to schedule regular visits so that the senior and animal can still spend time together.
If you believe that your elderly loved one is at risk for an in-home accident or injury and is unable to live independently, make an appointment to speak with a company like RN Villa Senior Care Community.
Share19 May 2019
My husband and I recently moved his mother to an assisted living facility. My name is Audrey Martin, and I am going to share our experience with you. My mother-in-law is eighty-two years old. She has been living on her own for twelve years since her husband passed away. My husband, David, is her only child. That left us in charge of making this decision for her since she has declined to the point of not being able to make sound decisions on her own. I’m not going to tell you that it’s been easy, but I will say that it can be done. I hope that what I’m about to share proves to be helpful to you should the time come that you are the one moving a loved one to an assisted living facility. Thanks for stopping by!