A few tips to help seniors at home.
Many people do not realize the complications of the elderly until they reach the age of where even simple tasks become difficult. Things as simple as sweeping the floor or going downstairs become extremely difficult and sometimes impossible. The mere thought of conquering these feats make decisions more critical than they out to be. The worry may be more than anyone is willing to accept.
In this article these are some simple ideas to help the people we love so much have an easier acclimation to an older life. Many of these ideas will not only help your elderly, but they will cut down on your help that they need from you.
Older people often feel they might have a fall or be injured with little or no knowledge or help on the way. The best thing to prevent this from happening is purchasing a medical alert system. A medical alert system help seniors contact paramedics in case of an accident or unforeseen medical emergency. The medical alert system may also contact family members or a close friend. With the simple push of a button the can summoned the help they need. This is terrific for someone living alone. Knowing they can count on someone coming to their rescue is a great release of the stress and worry the elderly may have.
Another problem might be coming up or going down stairs. When examining stairs, try to make it a non-skid surface. If you are going to cover the stairs with carpet, make the carpet a contrasting color from the wall and the floor. That way they can easily see where the stairs are and can identify them at a distance. If they are wooden stairs, you may want to add rubber to each step and the banister. Adding traction to each step prevents slipping. If the elderly person is wearing socks or slippers, it is much easier to conquer stairs without the worry of slipping. You should also add lights to the staircase. In a dark house or at nighttime is when stairs can be most troublesome. Light can help seniors gage the steepness and distance of each step more carefully with a simple light fixture illuminating the walkway.
The kitchen provides some easy remedies. For example, put plates and glasses at a lower level so they are readily available with little effort. Having to reach or strain just to get a plate can cause pain and increase the chance of an injury. It may also be helpful to replace heavy or bulky plates and glasses with smaller, lighter ones. Plastic cups and paper plates are inexpensive and will make carrying them and cleanup very easy.
The laundry room may be equally as challenging. If it is all possible, putting the laundry room on the main floor would prevent having to lug clothes up and down stairs. The likelihood of an accident carrying a basket of clothes, without a banister, into a dark basement is a definite recipe for disaster. Try to make sure the washer and dryer are on the same floor as the bedroom. This makes putting clothes away a much easy and quicker chore.
A product that I was not knowledgeable until recently is a forward lunging chair. It is often difficult for an elderly person to stand up after sitting for a long time. A lunging chair helps them do so by leaning the chair forward while they rise. It provides support and a little push to stand up after sitting down. The chairs are available in many colors and styles and should be a staple of every elderly living room set.
The final suggestions are for the bathroom. A riser for the toilet can usually be purchased from a health supply store. It makes the toilet higher of the ground to make it easier to get on and off. Putting a support bar around the toilet make help an older person leverage their weight as well. A similar bar could be added to the bathtub for the same reason.
Some times the thing we take for granted are the most difficult for seniors. Taking into account their struggles can be fixed with little effort. Most cannot diagnose the problems they may have unless they experience them also. Ask them what problems they may be having because correcting them is often simple. A little help can go a long way.
It is easy to find many ways to help seniors continue to enjoy life to the fullest.
Brian C. Halloran is a graduate of Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing and a Minor in Communications. He works at Opt My Biz as a Marketing Coordinator.
By Brian C Halloran