Stepping into the role of being a family caregiver for your elderly parent means that you will be taking on a wide variety of responsibilities for your senior. One of the most important of these is making sure that your aging family member remains safe at all times. Many elderly adults face a variety of challenges and limitations that put them at risk of a wide range of hazards. This can reduce their independence and make them feel as though they are not able to live the lifestyle that they desire as they age in place. Taking steps to help them understand risks, reduce those risks, and make good choices can help your parent feel safer and more secure at home throughout their later years.
August 22 through 26 is National Safe at Home Week.
This is the perfect time for you to review the safety issues that your parent might face in their home and what you can do to help them to stay safer. By staying safer in their home, your aging family member can maintain better mental and emotional health, stay more secure, and feel more confident in their ability to continue their life in the way that they want to as they age in place. This supports a more fulfilling, active, and engaged lifestyle for your parent and less stress for you as their family caregiver.
There are many issues related to keeping your aging parent safe when they are at home, both alone and under the care of either you or a care provider. Some of these include:
- Fire safety, including prevention of household fires and what to do if there is a fire in their home.
- Fall risk reduction and how to modify the home to keep them safer.
- Emergency response, including establishing a safety plan so that your parent knows how to respond if there is an emergency in their home.
- Security and intruder safety, including the use of appropriate locking systems, security cameras, and other features to help protect your parent from intruders.
If you have been considering how you are able to enhance your parent’s life and ensure that they get everything that they need to remain as healthy, happy, safe, and comfortable as possible as they age in place, now may be the ideal time to start home care for them. An in-home senior care services provider can be with your parent on a customized schedule that ensures that they always have care and support when they need it to help them manage their personal needs, address their challenges and limitations, and keep their lifestyle as active, engaged, and independent as possible. Keeping your senior safe is one of the most important priorities that you have as a family caregiver, and entrusting a home care provider with some of your parent’s care can help you to feel more confident that your parent will be secure in their home.
If you or an aging loved one needs home care in Roseville, CA, remember Senior Home Care Services. Call us at (916) 514-7006 for more information.
