Senior citizens definitely can take care of
themselves. No doubt.
However, beyond a certain point in life, their
self-care might not be sufficient for their actual well-being, especially if
they are living alone. In other words, they need extra care as they age in
order to make sure that they remain healthy and happy at all times.
This is precisely why you need to perform regular
home safety checks for them and eliminate possible safety hazards. Apparently,
in Canada, every 13 seconds a senior citizen is taken to
the emergency room for a fall and in every 20 minutes a senior citizen dies
from a fall.
Clearly, the matter is quite serious and is not
something that can afford to be put off. Michael Brady of Halo
Healthcare says that it is best to perform yearly safety checks so
as to ensure that the home environment for your senior loved one is safe and
sound.
Here are a few other reasons why you need to conduct
a yearly safety check of your senior loved one’s home.
Home
safety is not the same for seniors as it is for regular adults
The home environment for a senior citizen has to be
extra safe, more than that of a regular adult citizen. Just like you might
baby-proof your home for a baby, a senior citizen’s home should be made extra
supportive for them. For example, simple home modifications can be made like
adding grab-bars in the corridor or putting a non-slip mat on the bathroom
floor can make a big difference for a senior who is living alone. This not only
makes their home environment safer but it also makes their daily life a lot
easier as well.
Your
senior loved one may not be able to make a perfect judgement of their needs
Your senior loved one may be going through a lot of
emotional and mental changes, owing to their position in life, their changes in
relationships with their children or friends etc. For the same reason, they may
not be able to be completely open about their needs with their caregivers in
the first place. Second of all, they may not entirely realize all of their
limitations and needs once they have aged. Even during the initial stages of
senior citizenship, they may be more or less self-sufficient in their lives.
However, further into their lives, they might get weaker in terms of health and
may develop physical limitations, because of which they may have different needs
as well.
Thirdly, some senior citizens may not admit to
having difficulties in their life out of fear of having to end up in common
senior care centre away from their home.
Hence, it is up to the caregiving loved one to
accurately judge the senior’s home environment regularly and ensure that it is
safe.
Living
alone is riskier for the elderly
Senior citizens who might be living alone can be
prone to a number of accidents at home including falls, which in effect
accounted for almost 65% of deaths among Canadian senior citizens a
few years back.
Apart from that, seniors may also face troubles
eating their regular meals and taking their medications promptly, due to
various reasons.
Some seniors may also refrain from leaving their
house and going out for walks or to meet friends because of their physical
difficulty or their mental state of mind. This kind of an attitude could
potentially lead to isolation, increased feelings of loneliness and eventually
even depression.
Suffice it to say that living alone, being already
risky for a regular adult may be even more so for a senior citizen. Put
together with their physical difficulties, their risks of living alone only
increases. Hence it is very important to check in on them and their homes every
once in a while.
During the safety check
When you are conducting a safety check, here are a
few things that you need to pay attention to:
- First
of all, check for signs of health deterioration and factors contributing to it.
You can get an idea of the situation by scanning the refrigerator for food
supplies. In cases where the senior is unable to cook or buy groceries for
themselves, you can arrange regular food supply agents.
Ensure the same for medications as well.
Ensure the same for medications as well.
- Check
for signs of mental instability. The home environment can show you a lot of
signs of mental instability. If the place is unusually dirty or if the bills
are unusually piling up, or if the garden is unusually untended, something
could likely be bothering your senior loved one.
- Finally,
check for physical safety hazards including sharp edges, slippery tiles, weak
stairs and the like. Additionally, make sure to keep all essentials at easy
reach for your senior loved ones.
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