Safety First: Prepare Your Loved One’s Home For Aging In Place

Chances are, your loved one greatly values their independence. To help them stay at home longer and avoid extended hospital stays, you can arrange for them to receive professional live in care. However, aging in place will be more successful if their home is ready for their changing needs. Here are several areas to pay attention to within your loved one’s home, so they can safely live at home:

Fall Hazards

Unfortunately, falls are common for seniors and they are more serious in old age. In fact, falls are the leading cause of seniors’ emergency room visits. To prevent falls, consider the following:

• Ensure stairwells are clear of obstacles.
• Move loose items, like stacks of magazines, off the floor and onto shelves.
• Tape down carpets so they can’t become tripping hazards.
• Install motion-sensor lights so your loved one can always see potential hazards.

Another way to prevent fall hazards is to install safety railings and hand rails throughout the home. You can find hand rails specially designed for these areas, where falls commonly occur:

• Exterior stairways
• Bath tub rails
• Toilet rails
• Back porch stairways

Home Maintenance

Seniors may forget to perform routine home maintenance or find that they’re no longer physically able to undertake these tasks. Many home maintenance issues, if not taken care of regularly, can become safety issues for seniors who receive live in care. These include:

• Landscaping maintenance: long grass and fallen branches are tripping hazards.
• Winter maintenance: salt the front steps and sidewalks to prevent falls.
• Kitchen cleaning: a stove or oven with built-up food spills can catch fire.
• Fire prevention: ensure all smoke alarms have working batteries and are turned on.
• HVAC maintenance: an uncleaned furnace can be a fire hazard. Ensure the filter is cleaned.

Live In Care & Expert Elderly Home Care From iCare Home Health

If you want to help your loved one live at home for as long as possible, preparing their home for their changing needs is a must. iCare Home Health provides professionally live in care and elderly home care to make aging in place easier. Our compassionate and certified caregivers can help your loved one with a variety of tasks, from assisting with their at-home medical care, undertaking daily tasks, and others services. Contact us to learn more and receive a consultation.