Best In Home Care Tips: Creating a Safer Home For Your Aging Loved Ones

Many seniors prefer to stay in their homes and maintain independence for as long as possible. At Always Best Care, we make an effort to help people stay in their homes for as long as possible, while still receiving the best in home care they need. If you have elderly parents or family members moving in with you or trying to maintain independence in their own home, we recommend taking the following precautions to make your home safer for your aging loved ones. 

Elderly Home Care: Spot the Hazards 

Walking through your loved one’s home to spot potential hazards is the first step. Making sure their furniture and any possible clutter is arranged in a way to make clear pathways throughout their home is important, especially if they use a walking aid or a wheelchair.  

As you walk through their home, take notice of any other tripping hazards such as loose cords, cables or poorly placed area mats. If they have any low tables or potted plants, make sure they’re placed safely to the side of the room to increase their walking space and minimize the risk of them hurting themselves if they stumble. 

Install HandRails  

Part of making sure your loved one has the home care assistance they need is making sure they can properly do everyday tasks. Installing handrails in the washroom near the toilet, tub and in the shower can help them preserve their dignity and safety.  

Other areas where they may need hand rails include near any sitting areas in their home and on the stairs. 

Simple Changes to Prevent Slips and Falls

It’s estimated that 25% of elders over the age of 65 will take a fall every year. To protect your loved ones from falling and harming themselves, we recommend taking a few easy precautions. Using rubber-backed bathmats and anti-slip mats in tubs and showers can protect them in the bathroom. You can also wax non-carpeted floors with a nonslip wax. You may also want to consider removing locks from bedroom and bathroom doors so you can help your loved one quickly if they do experience a fall. 

Automatic Cut-Offs for Gas and Cookers 

Ensuring your aging loved ones feel like they’re receiving the best senior home care means making sure they can retain independence through cooking their own meals. If your loved one is struggling with memory issues, they may not remember to turn off cooking appliances. Left unattended, this could be a danger and fire hazard. If you feel it’s safe for your loved one to be cooking, fitting cookers and gas-powered cooking equipment with devices to automatically switch off gas and cookers is advisable.  

Keep in mind, if your loved one is receiving dementia or Alzheimer’s care, being left alone in the kitchen could be dangerous for them and those around them. In this case, you may want to explore options to make sure your loved one receives the best in home care so they can safely maintain their independence.  

Home Care Assistance: Stay Connected 

If your aging loved one spends long periods of time home alone, we recommend staying connected. Check in with a phone call or video chat to make sure they’re all right. If you and your loved one agree, you may also want to mount a motion-activated security camera in their home to make sure they go about their day as usual.  

Employ a Care Aid  

At Always Best Care, we place the best, professionally trained and carefully screened caregivers in homes to assist older adults with managing life’s daily routines. They can provide companionship, personal care and transitional care for your loved one.  

If you’re wondering if it’s time to find the best in home care for your loved one, take our quiz here.  

If your loved one requires extra support with the activities of daily living to maintain independence, the team of in-home caregivers at Always Best Care can help. We believe in providing the best in home care for your loved one and can assist with services from light housekeeping and laundry to Alzheimer’s and dementia care.