Mar 1
2019
4 Things Your Elderly Parent Needs In Their Home
In a world where everything has gone tech-savvy, even seniors are looking for ways to manage their health and safety through technological advances. Although tech gadgets are great for helping your elderly parents be safe in their own homes, there are a few things that you can get to prevent slips and falls as well, some high-tech and some low-tech. Read on below for a few of those gadgets to be revealed.
A stairlift
There are many common causes of slips and falls among the elderly, with falling down the stairs being among the most common. While this is an expensive safety precaution, having a stairlift installed in your parent’s home can go a long way towards preventing them from taking a spill down the stairs. If it is possible to move their stuff to the ground floor, then that is an option, but most seniors want to be able to go up the stairs in their own home, and a stairlift can help them do this safely while maintaining their independence.
Medical alert system
If your elderly loved one does fall out of the bed or their wheelchair or even slip in the kitchen cooking a meal, you want someone to know about it right away and be able to get to them in a hurry. Investing in a medical alert system that will alert someone should your senior fall is a great idea, especially if they spend a lot of time in their home alone. This will give you the peace of mind of knowing that someone is watching out for your aging parent when you can’t be there to do it yourself.
Look for systems that work without input from your parent if they should become unresponsive. Also, transmitters that work while they are outside in the yard or even if they are away from home can be helpful for them — and for your peace of mind. Some systems can even notify you via smartphone directly if there’s a problem.
Grab bars
Slip and fall injuries are sadly common among the elderly who are aging in place. While many can happen in public places and result in the need to contact a personal injury attorney Upper West Side, NY if you’re an NYC resident, for example, many of these injuries happen in the comfort of your parents own home as well.
While not exactly high tech, installing grab bars in spots such as showers and by the commode can go a long way towards preventing your parent from being injured due to a fall. They should also be installed in areas of the home where your loved one has a hard time getting up and down, such as by their favorite chair in the den.
These are just a few of the things out there to help your elderly parent be able to age in place. Slip and fall injuries are all too common the elderly, an