{"id":12699,"date":"2017-10-31T07:00:43","date_gmt":"2017-10-31T12:00:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.senioradvisor.com\/blog\/?p=12699"},"modified":"2020-10-14T11:15:10","modified_gmt":"2020-10-14T16:15:10","slug":"why-you-should-perform-a-yearly-safety-check-of-your-senior-loved-ones-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/d30braiqprupoq.cloudfront.net\/blog\/2017\/10\/why-you-should-perform-a-yearly-safety-check-of-your-senior-loved-ones-home\/","title":{"rendered":"Why You Should Perform a Yearly Safety Check of Your Senior Loved One’s Home"},"content":{"rendered":"

Why You Should Perform a Yearly Safety Check of Your Senior Loved One’s Home\"Why<\/h1>\n

When you have an aging parent, it\u00a0can be difficult to accept that\u00a0the person that cared for you as a child suddenly needs more care for themselves. When that\u00a0time comes, it is important to ensure that your parent gets the help they need, or else it could put your loved one at risk.<\/p>\n

Why a Yearly Safety Check Is Important<\/h2>\n

One step you can take to make sure your loved one will get the care they need at the time they need, is a yearly safety check. This is useful for a few key reasons:<\/p>\n

1. At a certain point, living alone becomes risky.<\/h3>\n

Falls are one of the biggest risks you have to be aware of, but they\u2019re just one part of the equation. Seniors that live alone can have\u00a0trouble eating regular meals. They may also find it increasingly\u00a0difficult to ever leave the house and\u00a0potentially experience\u00a0social isolation and loneliness<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

When seniors begin\u00a0to\u00a0have more difficulty caring for themselves, the risks they face start to pile up. They likely won\u2019t recognize the problems as they arise, which is why it’s so important for you to check-in with them.<\/p>\n

2. Home safety is different for seniors than for other age groups.<\/h3>\n

A yearly safety check can reveal home safety issues that you can proactively address to help reduce\u00a0fall hazards around the house<\/a>.<\/strong>\u00a0Look for opportunities to install\u00a0home modifications<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0that will reduce some of the risks seniors\u00a0face when living alone. Simple additions like grab bars and non-slip mats in the bathroom can make a big difference to how safe basic daily tasks are.<\/p>\n

To avoid a worst-case scenario, put time on the calendar now to do a thorough\u00a0review of your parent’s home for\u00a0signs of any issues.<\/p>\n

3. Your loved one won\u2019t be the best judge of their care needs.<\/h3>\n

Your loved one may be embarrassed to speak honestly about difficulties with tasks they think should be easy, or they might not want to admit that they need help at all.\u00a0Many seniors are also less likely to openly admit to issues that they fear will land them out of their home and into a senior living community.<\/p>\n

All of this means that you can\u2019t just expect your parent to call you and tell you they think it\u2019s no longer safe for them to live alone; you\u2019ll probably need to be the one to recognize the need and then push to ensure they\u00a0receive\u00a0necessary care.<\/p>\n

What to Look for During Your Yearly Safety Check<\/h2>\n

When you\u2019re going through an aging loved one or parent’s home, there are a few things you want to be on the lookout for:<\/p>\n

1. Health Safety Issues<\/h3>\n

Ongoing problems like not getting enough to eat or not keeping up with daily medications are serious health safety issues.<\/p>\n

For this part of the safety check, go through the pantry and refrigerator. Do they seem to have enough food there? Are the food options reasonably healthy? If your loved one is having trouble getting groceries and preparing meals, then they may not be getting the nutrients they need each day.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, this is an issue with a solution. You can look into\u00a0Meals on Wheels<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0or start using one of the\u00a0many food delivery services<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0now available. It\u2019s possible to get ingredients delivered for meals your loved one preps themselves, or to have pre-made meals delivered if they\u2019re struggling with preparing meals.<\/p>\n

Also, check the state of their medications. Are they well organized? Does it look like they\u2019re taking all their prescriptions? If it looks like they may be struggling to take the right meds at the right time,\u00a0electronic medication dispensers<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0can help them stay on top of things more easily.<\/p>\n

2. Mental Health Safety Issues<\/h3>\n

Many seniors start to experience memory problems as they age. These issues often come on slow and get more serious over time. Many seniors that experience these issues can take care of themselves at first, but will reach a point where they need assistance.<\/p>\n

Some signs to look for that suggest a change in your loved one\u2019s mental faculties are:<\/p>\n