Elder Care: Is Your Loved One Safe At Home?

Elder Care in Concord NC

When it comes to elder care, home safety must be a top priority. Evaluate your loved one’s abilities: does he or she have difficulty climbing stairs? Does your loved one have Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia?

When improving safety in the home, keep these suggestions in mind:

Food

When in doubt, throw it out. Diligence is key when caring for an aging loved one. Home safety and a healthy diet are obvious areas of concern, but how often does the safety of the food your loved one eats enter your mind? Try these tips:

• Pay attention to the “sell-by” date
• Wash your hands, utensils and food surfaces often with antibacterial soap and hot water after handling raw eggs, poultry, meat or seafood
• Avoid wooden cutting board
• Do not prepare food if you have a stomach virus
• Drink only pasteurized juice or juice concentrates
• Cook foods to a safe temperature
• Refrigerate or freeze perishable foods right away
• Promptly refrigerate leftovers and food prepared in advance.
• Do not defrost food at room temperature
• Keep the refrigerator at a temperature of no more than 40 degrees Fahrenheit and the freezer at no more than 0 degrees Fahrenheit

Kitchen

Try the following tips to improve safety in the kitchen:

• Get rid of the junk drawer
• Remove flammable liquids
• Disengage the garbage disposal
• Install locks
• Remove clutter
• Create an open space
• Improve lighting

Bathroom

The prevalence of bathroom injuries increase with age, especially around the tub, shower and toilet. You can never take too many precautions when it comes to bathroom safety for your aging parent or elderly loved one. Try these tips:

• Install safety rails
• Widen doorways
• Use non-slip mats
• Mark faucets
• Install a pedestal sink
• Install a walk-in shower
• Install a shower chair
• Install nightlights
• Raise the toilet seat

How your home care provider can help

Enlist the help of your loved one’s home care provider in investigating possible home safety hazards. Remember, your home care provider is there to assist you and your loved one as much as possible. So, utilize your home care provider as much as you can. Doing so will improve upon your ability to provide the best elder care to your loved one.

You can never be too safe. Always err on the side of caution. With these tips, you can go a long way to improve your loved one’s safety at home.

If you or an aging loved one are considering elder care in Concord, NC, contact the caring professionals at TenderHearted Home Care today. Call us at (704) 612-4132.

Sources

Med Scape