Home Care Safety Advice for Seniors Who Wish to Age in Place

Most seniors would prefer to remain home if given the choice, even when they are dealing with plenty of challenges. Some of those challenges could be health related, memory related, or mobility related. Whatever the struggle, most seniors would prefer to be home, where they are most comfortable.

Being home, though, doesn’t mean the senior will stay safe. We often want to believe that home is generally a safe place, but the older you get, the more difficult it is to do physical tasks, the more health challenges you face, the greater the safety hazards become, even in a familiar and comfortable environment.

We put together a few critical safety tips for the senior who would prefer to remain at home, but who needs a little extra support, such as the help of a home care provider, along the way.

Ensuring Pet Safety

It’s easy to assume that once a person reaches a certain age or is dealing with critical health issues they should get rid of their pets, but that doesn’t have to be the case. The senior may need to adjust their living situation to make sure their cat or dog or other pet doesn’t get underfoot, cut in front of them when they’re walking, or otherwise put them at risk.

If it’s not possible to avoid tripping hazards or pets constantly getting underfoot, then it may be necessary to visit the prospect of removing the pet from the home. This doesn’t necessarily have to be permanent, but a family member or close friend or neighbor might be willing to take in the pet so they could then bring it over a couple of times a week for the senior to enjoy companionship once again.

Add Lighting

Even during the longest day of the year and those beautiful summer months, eventually the sun sets. If the senior has a tendency to be up when the sun is going down, it becomes more difficult to see clearly without proper lighting.

It may be necessary to add lighting outside or in certain rooms to make sure differences in the flooring or steps can easily be seen. Wherever lighting is needed because it’s a little too dark, it should be addressed and added properly.

Remove Fall Risks

Tripping hazards could come in many forms, including a chair that doesn’t get pushed in under the kitchen table, a pocketbook or bag that is dropped by the corner of the hallway where it meets the kitchen, or even on the steps.

Too often, things are left for “just a few moments,” but are then forgotten about. That’s when they become serious safety hazards for aging seniors.

Remove Throw Rugs

Any type of throw rug can be a potential tripping hazard for somebody as they get older. The edges don’t always stay down or the corners can curl up. It may be best to remove these types of rugs and instead deal with the hard floor or plush carpeting that is already there.

When you follow these tips, you might be helping an aging senior be a bit safer as they age comfortably at home.

We provide services in Virginia’s Fairfax, Loudoun, Arlington, Prince William, Fauquier, Culpeper, Stafford, Winchester-Frederick, Clarke, Warren, Richmond City, Chesterfield, and Henrico counties.

If you or an aging loved one is considering Home Care in Ashburn, VA, please contact the caring staff at Care With Love today. 703-935-4070.