Four Big Safety Improvements for Your Senior’s Home
You might want to make sure your senior’s home is safer for her, but not know where to start. That’s perfectly normal, especially if you haven’t had to really think about this sort of thing before. Here are some ideas to get you started.
Home Health Care in Prince William County VA: Senior Safety
Look at New Lighting Options
One of the easiest ways that you can improve safety in your senior’s home is to install new lighting options. The fixtures themselves may still be fine but require new bulbs in order to light your senior’s home the way she needs them to. LED bulbs have come a long way and are long-lasting and extremely bright. They also don’t put out a lot of heat, like older styles of light bulbs have been known to do. That makes them an excellent choice.
Change out Difficult Doorknobs for Easier Versions
Whether your senior has arthritis or simply finds that her hand strength isn’t what it used to be, doorknobs might not be as helpful as they have been in the past. If the majority of the doorknobs in your senior’s home are round, swapping them out for lever-style knobs can make a huge difference. They’re easier to operate and don’t require hand strength at all. In fact, your elderly family member can use her elbow or forearm to maneuver the knob.
Add Handrails Anywhere You Can
Handrails are another safety device that can be more useful than you might realize. It’s a good idea to scope out potential locations before you actually start installing them. Look for areas where your senior might need some extra support, like in the bathroom or the kitchen. Also consider areas like hallways, stairways, or anywhere that there’s nothing besides a wall to help support your senior if she loses her balance.
Install a Ramp if the House Has Steps Outside
If your senior’s home has steps outside, you might want to consider adding a ramp to them. Steps may be easy for her to navigate now, but if she has any sort of accident or ailment in the future that affects her balance or that requires her to use a wheelchair, she may find those steps to be very inconvenient, if not downright dangerous. Installing a ramp now gives her the option to use the ramp rather than the stairs.
Your elderly family members may also benefit from having the assistance of senior care providers on a regular basis. Senior care providers have experience in spotting potential issues for the people they’re assisting and they can let you know if something is going to be a problem.
If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Home Health Care in Prince William County, VA, please contact the caring staff at LivinRite Home Care.
Call Us Today at (703) 634-9991.
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