As your parents age, the time may come where you need to safeguard their home to keep them as safe as possible. Here are 15 tips to help you safeguard your aging patient’s home.
1. Put Decals on Glass Doors
If your parent’s home has a glass slider, then attach some decals to the glass doors to make them easily noticeable.
2. Install Ramps
If your parent has difficulty navigating stairs, or depends on a walker or wheeled device to navigate within their home, then install ramps over porch stairs or raised thresholds.
3. Secure Cords Away
Secure cords so that they cannot cause tripping. Running cords along baseboards is one solution; if a cord must be run into a room, then either tape it down or cover it well.
4. Install Multisensory Smoke Detectors
If your aging parent’s hearing has begun to decline, then you may want to install multisensory smoke detectors which vibrate or flash bright lights to help alert if there is a fire present.
5. Consider a Fall Mat
If an aging parent is at risk of falling out of bed, a
fall mat may be a wise investment to reduce the chance of injury sustained.
6. Install Grab Bars
Grab bars are useful in practically any room of the home. Install grab bars wherever your parent could use extra stability, such as by entranceways, by the kitchen sink, and in the bathroom.
7. Improve Tub Safety
The tub is a dangerous area. Improve its safety by installing a bath mat, tub grab bars, and potentially a bath seat.
8. Consider a Toilet Safety Frame
A
toilet safety frame may make it easier and safer for your parent to navigate the toilet when he or she is alone.
9. Remove Chemicals from the Home
If your parent is easily confused, then it may be best to remove all chemicals from the home, or to store them in a locked cabinet or cupboard.
10. Provide Medication Aids
It’s important that your parent takes the correct medication at the right time, without skipping doses or taking medication too often. There are countless medication aids which can take the guesswork out of daily medication times, amounts, and dosages.
11. Install a Stairlift
It can be dangerous for an aging parent to navigate the stairs on a regular basis. Installing a
stairlift can make this process easier and safer for them.
12. Create Quality Lighting
Make sure that the entire home is equipped with quality lighting. Lamps should have pull cords or wall switches so that they are easy to turn on and off.
13. Consider Medical Alert Devices
Asking your parent to wear a medical alert device can provide you with peace of mind that all is well while they’re at home.
14. Install Timers on Kitchen Items
Items like toasters, coffeemakers, and even the stove can be equipped with timers so that they will be forced to turn off in the event that your parents forgets that they have turned the device on.
15. Eliminate Clutter
A cluttered house can be both overwhelming and dangerous for an aging parent. Help your parent to organize their home and reduce clutter.
With attentive care and careful safeguarding, your aging parents may be able to safely remain in the comfort of their own home.
