Mobility challenges can be frustrating for your senior and scary for you. Helping your elderly family member to be safe in her own home does a lot for her, including enabling her to age in place for as long as she might want to do so.
Put Safety Plans in Place for Stairs
If there are stairs inside your senior’s home, they need to be made as safe as you can. First ensure that any handrails are secure and that they’re easy to hold onto. Take a look at the lighting in the stairway and make sure that it’s sufficient to enable your senior to see well. If there is carpeting or any other type of floor covering, make sure it’s secure and that your senior isn’t like to slip, trip, or otherwise fall. If possible, consider adding a stair lift as well.
Rugs and Carpets Need Special Attention
Just like on stair treads, carpet and rugs anywhere can be a safety hazard. Pay close attention to whether carpeting has worn spots or holes that might catch on your senior’s shoes or on an assistive device, like a cane tip. If your senior’s home has throw or area rugs, make sure they’re taped down or that they have a secure rubberized backing helping them to avoid slipping.
Do What You Can about Clutter
Keeping track of clutter might feel like a full-time job for you if your elderly family member insists on collecting items. But it’s really important that you find a way to keep clutter in hand. It becomes a massive tripping hazard if you don’t. Clutter can even become a severe enough problem that it could fall over and injure your senior. None of that is what you want, so it needs managing as it continues to grow.
Simplify and Rearrange Furniture
One of the easiest things you might be able to do to improve your senior’s mobility at home is to rearrange and pare down her furniture. If there is furniture that she doesn’t need or use anymore, clearing that out of her home can free up space. This is especially important if your senior uses a walker or wheelchair that needs a little more room to move freely.
It’s also a really good idea to bring in-home care providers if your elderly family member’s mobility is not what it use to be. They can help to ensure that your senior is safe and that she has help when she needs it.
If you, or an aging loved-one, are considering hiring Elderly Care in Del Mar, CA , or the Surrounding San Diego Area, please contact the caring staff at GoldenCare today. Call us at (760) 828-5201 today.
