Caring For Your Elderly Parents – Keeping Them Safe While They Still Live At Home

We will not stay young forever no matter how hard we try and how many anti-aging agents and treatments we use. It is inevitable in the end that aging is going to win. This holds true for your parents as well. As you age so do they, just with a couple of decades head start. It’s important to remember that your parents as they get older are going to need a little more help and you may need to be there for them, just as they were there for you when you were growing up. It’s important to remember that your parents are going to want to stay in their own homes for as long as they can and you should try your best to make sure they can do that by trying to help provide them with a safe environment so that they can do this.

Make sure that you know what all of your parents medical issues are and understand that they may have multiple so it’s important that you know about all of them. You also should know who their doctor is so that you can contact the doctor in case you need to. Remember, that even though a lot of things are changing for your elderly parents, as long as they can take care of themselves, such as simple daily activities, they should be allowed to be able to stay in their own homes.

You should also go to their home and check out their living environment. Make sure that you check out all of the rooms they have and will be having activities in. According to whatever ailments they might have, you may have to make a few minor adjustments in order to make some areas safer than others, especially in the bathroom where slips and falls are quite common especially with the elderly. Add safety bars in the shower or tub and if they happen to have stairs that have no railings, then consider adding some railings for them to make it easier for them to navigate. Also make sure that there is good lighting in the entire house and that all of their locks on their doors are in good working order.

If their home is cluttered, it’s a good idea to make sure that you try to clear some of the clutter away for them. Take out any throw rugs that might be in the way of their walking paths because they could easily trip on a rug that might be rumpled up and this could end in an unnecessary injury. If they are using a walker, cane or even a wheelchair, make sure there is plenty of room in the home to be able to maneuver in the house with these objects.

Check and make sure that all fire hazards are taken care of. Make sure that their stove is in good working condition and is safe to cook on. Cut down on them having to cook meals every day on the stove by occasionally cooking for them or making extras at home and inviting them over or taking them a few meals cooked a head of time that all they will have to do is warm up in the microwave. You should also convince them to stop using space heaters if they are, these can be huge fire hazards.

Make sure that you call them often or just stop by on occasion to make sure they are doing OK and to see if there is anything you might be able to do for them. Never just assume that everything is going great just because they haven’t called you. They may be too proud to ask for help or unable to get to the phone to call for help.

If you notice any kind of mental or physical changes in them, it’s important that you call their doctor right away, it could be nothing but then again it could be very serious. The elderly tend to have quick and sudden changes happen to them and without warning so it’s important to pay close attention and get help if needed.

Keep all of their important phone numbers posted wherever there is a phone so that they do not have to be searching for a number when they need to get someone to help them or need advice on something.