Making an Elder's Home Safer
Mar
31
Written by:
3/31/2011 9:02 AM
Your older loved one does not have to move to a senior residential community to have the security and peace of mind of a safer home environment. As a geriatric care manager I often have conversations with families and elders in which moving is not an option they are considering. Sometimes it may be an option, but the move won’t be happening right away, and they are looking for advice on minimizing risks to their loved ones still at home. One of the greatest risks to an older adult aging in place is a fall and the possibility of fracturing a bone. For an elder living alone, risks are magnified, because no one will be there to summon help if it is needed. For the next several postings I am going to go down a checklist of what you can do for a loved one or what you can have done fairly inexpensively with some help to retrofit the home.
As you or your loved “inspect” the home overall, look for fall risks because an unsteady gait or stiffness can make a problem that for younger, nimble legs is not. One of the big problems can be throw - or scatter - rugs. We sometimes refer to them as “shatter” rugs, because the falls they cause are so devastating. Simply get rid of them, especially if there is solid flooring underneath. Look also for frayed spots in the wall to wall carpeting or where there are raised seams in the carpet or flooring at doorway thresholds. Look also for small tables, footstools or even chairs that may be difficult to get around. Narrow paths between furniture are obstacles as well as animals and their toys.
Depending on the degree to which getting around poses a problem to your elder, you may consider having a handyperson install handrails along corridors where there is nothing else for your elder to grip. If stairs are challenging or if your elder already uses a walker or cane, you may consider having ramps or electric chair lifts installed.
At night fall hazards are even greater. I recommend night lights throughout the halls. The kind with a sensor that turns them on only when it is dark will eliminate the potential for forgetting as well as save energy. Waking at night can be disorienting for a senior, so consider having a flashlight within reach on the nightstand near the bed. Install bright bulbs in all fixtures that can accommodate higher wattage throughout the house.
Especially for your older loved one who may live alone, invest in a personal emergency response system (PERS). We have all grown tired of the ads about “help I have fallen, and I can’t get up” but a PERS can make a dramatic difference in medical or other household safety emergencies. I received a referral some time ago to help coordinate the rehabilitation and recovery for an older client who had a serious fall at home. She lived alone at home and after falling and breaking her hip could not reach a telephone. Had the cleaning person not arrived two days later, the story could have ended very differently.
One last “big picture” issue is housekeeping. Help your elder loved one to hire out the heavy cleaning, and then to manage the rest on their scale. Help break “housecleaning day” into a series of smaller, manageable tasks. Consider replacing top-loading washers with front loading machines to minimize heavy lifting of wet clothes, and encourage your elder to make smaller loads. In upcoming postings, I will talk about specific rooms, particularly the bath and kitchen. Please let me know your questions or challenges as well.
Charlotte Bishop is a Geriatric Care Manager and founder of Creative Case Management, certified professionals who are geriatric advocates, resources, counselors and friends to older adults and their families throughout metropolitan Chicago. Please email your questions to Charlotte Bishop.
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