What to Do When Your Senior Feels Unsafe at Home

If your senior parent or loved one has expressed concerns about their safety while alone in their home, or you have similar worries for them, you may be wondering how you can help them and keep them safe.

There are things that you can do to help eliminate accidents and ways to ease their mind so that they can remain independent in their home for as long as possible.

Here are some ways to make your senior feel safer about being alone at home:

Enlist the neighbors.

Elderly Care Statesville, NC:What to Do When Your Senior Feels Unsafe at Home

If your senior has concerns about being alone at home, talk to their neighbors about the situation. If they have a neighbor they can trust, ask them to check in once a day, and give them ways to reach you so that they can report anything suspicious or worrisome to you promptly. They say it takes a village, so let the village help out if your senior needs assistance with elderly care at home.

Install cameras.

Another way to make your senior feel better while home alone is to install cameras around the home. These days, cameras are easier to install than ever, and you can get a live feed streamed right to your cell phone or computer so you can keep an eye on Mom or Dad wherever you go. It’s a great way to keep a watchful eye on people coming and going to and from the home, as well as being able to see your senior parent and ensure they are always safe.

Enable communication.

One of the most important things for a senior home alone is having the ability to call for help. Consider getting them a smart watch, which they can use to call for help when away from a phone and may even be able to detect hard falls and alert an emergency contact. There are also alert devices that seniors can wear and press a button to call for help. Whatever you decide works best for your parent getting elderly care at home, make sure that they understand the procedure and how to use it in an emergency.

Sweep for hazards.

Walk through your parent’s home with the intention of looking specifically for dangerous hazards. Check handrails on stairs and look for tripping hazards. Make sure that hallways and bathrooms are well-lit and keep chemicals and products that could be unsafe for consumption out of reach or remove them altogether. Remove rugs that can move and cause your senior to trip, and if they need assistance with walking, be sure they can reach their mobility device and understand the ramifications for not using it.

Hire help.

Probably the best way to make a senior feel safe at home is to hire help. When a senior needs elderly care at home, you can hire professional and compassionate caregivers to come in and provide care and companionship to your senior on the days and during the times that make the most sense for your family’s needs. Knowing that your senior isn’t alone and that there is someone there to help prevent accidents and falls and alert you to any emergencies can give you and your senior parent the ultimate peace of mind.

 

If you or an aging loved one are considering Elderly Care in Statesville, NC, please call the professional staff at Caring at Heart today at(704) 379-7510.Serving Charlotte, Statesville, Ballantyne, Mooresville, Huntersville,Matthews, Concord, Gastonia,Pineville and Indian Trail.

Shanele Healy
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