An elder’s home needs to be a safe haven. Regardless of how good the house might be, the house is as good as useless if it doesn’t meet the required safety requirements. Of course, your elderly dad refused to be taken to an assisted living facility because he knew that he would be safe at home. Do you know that your elderly parent’s home in Studio City can be a death trap? Since you always mean well for you loved ones, you will strive to do all that it takes to make them safe.
Even after you have hired an in-home caregiver, you should not assume that everything will be safe. It is your responsibility to ensure that the building which houses your loved one meets safety standards. Good news is that the modification can be done within a limited budget. Use these tips to make your elderly loved one’s Studio City home safer and their life more fulfilling. A neatly organized home can also promote and facilitate your elderly loved one’s recovery from illnesses and injuries.
Brighten up the house
Research done by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention paints a grim picture of the number of elders who fall. The study states that each year, one out of three adults falls. The age range of the adults used in this statistics was 65 and above.
Although falls may be seen as minor accidents, their effects can be devastating. A simple fall can lead to the end of life for an older adult. One way of minimizing falls is by keeping all the rooms bright. Installing lights in all the rooms so that your parent’s eyesight won’t be affected by thick darkness. Do not neglect bathroom corridors, hallways and stairways. They should also be well lit.
Keep the floors safe
Another way of preventing an elderly from falling is by keeping the floors safe. Bear in mind that the legs of an elderly are weak. Do not expect your elderly parent to make quick, energetic strides on a slippery floor. One way of keeping the floor safe is by improving the traction. The floor should not be too smooth as this can make the senior’s feet to slide. Get rid of rugs that make the floor uneven, because the senior may trip. Get rid of all the clutter in the staircase and do not forget to remove cables that pass through the floor.
Fire prevention
Fire accidents can happen anywhere including Studio City. The worst part is that a fire accident can happen in your elderly parent’s house in the absence of a caregiver. Though fire always arises as an accident, it can be prevented. One way of avoiding fire accidents especially when seniors are involved is by purchasing special electronic kitchen appliances that turn themselves off once a particular temperature has been reached or when a specific goal has been met. All the inflammable chemicals should be locked out of the elderly’s reach. Install fire alarms and fire-detecting devices in the house so that in the case of an emergency, everyone is alerted.
Keep arms away or get rid of them
Weapons play a big role when it comes to self-defense. However, when they find themselves in the wrong arms, innocent lives can be lost. Seniors should not be allowed to handle delicate weapons such as firearms. They can easily mishandle them. Older people who suffer from severe medical conditions such as dementia can easily get agitated, and if armed, it’s likely they will use the weapon unreasonably. Ensure that there are no firearms at home and involve the authorities in revocation of licensed weapons.
Emergency response systems
If you have enough resources, install emergency response system in the home of your elderly relative. With this system, your loved one or the caregiver won’t have to fumble with a mobile phone in case of an emergency. These systems are designed using the latest technological features. They can detect an accident such as fire or a fall. Once an emergency has been detected, the system will raise an alarm which will alert relevant people. A system of urgency has several numbers of emergency offices in Studio City. They can be used to contact the fire office, hospital and even emergency electrician.