Staying Safe As You Age In Place
Every senior deserves to age in place safely, regardless of age, physical condition, or health concerns. Whatever your situation, if you want to age in place, it’s essential to understand potential safety concerns and how to reduce your risk.
Home Concerns For Aging Seniors
While there are many benefits to seniors aging in place, such as continued independence and comfort, there are also a few safety concerns and challenges. Understanding these obstacles can help you identify ways to age at home safely.
- Seniors, especially those who live alone, are at risk for falls and fall-related injuries at home. Homes often have fall risks, such as cluttered walkways or slippery rugs. Falling can also lead to numerous serious injuries, such as concussions or broken bones.
- Seniors who age in place may experience loneliness or social isolation. Living alone can get lonely and negatively affect mental well-being. Extended loneliness and isolation can lead to more severe mental health concerns like depression and anxiety disorders.
- Loved ones may worry if an aging loved one can care for themselves sufficiently. Families can get protective over their aging loved ones and grow concerned about their ability to perform daily tasks like laundry, cooking, dressing, and showering.
Tips For Aging In Place Safely
Challenges with aging at home should not dissuade or prevent a senior from staying in place if it’s what they want. Consider these tips to improve at-home safety for you or an aging loved one.
Reducing Fall Risks
Making small adjustments at home can significantly improve your home safety and reduce your risk of falling.
- Keep hallways and doorways clear of clutter.
- Install a motion-activated night light in hallways and your most used rooms to help you navigate at night.
- Ensure all mats and rugs in the home are non-slip.
- Install grab bars around the toilet and in or near the shower.
- Organize your cupboards and closets so your most used items are within easy reach.
Socialization
Seniors living alone or homebound should focus on ways to maintain their social lives. While having a vibrant social life can include planning outings with friends, it can also include finding ways to connect with people without leaving your home. Tools like social media, virtual clubs, and video calls can help bring people to you and upkeep that social connection humans desire.
Daily Living Tasks
It’s okay to need help as you age. It’s also okay if you are uncomfortable contacting a loved one to assist you. Consider hiring a professional caregiver if you want someone to come to your home for help with nonmedical tasks, like housekeeping, cooking, or medication reminders. Caregivers also make excellent companions and can help reduce feelings of loneliness.
Improving At-Home Safety With Visiting Angels
At-home safety is one of our top priorities for clients of Visiting Angels. Our team of professional caregivers can help clients identify potential safety risks and work with them to find the right solutions to keep them safe.
Caregivers also keep clients safe by providing at-home care assistance. Our caregivers can help with nonmedical tasks like cooking, light housekeeping, medication reminders, mobility, and transportation. We also offer specialized services such as dementia care and palliative care for clients needing a more hands-on approach.
In addition to our in-person services, Visiting Angels serves its local communities by providing helpful resources that can be used by anyone. One resource in particular, is incredibly useful for learning more about falls. It includes info such as potential fall risks within your home and environment, who may be at greater risks of falls and why, and checklists you and your family members or caregiver can use to increase fall safety around your home.
Safe and Steady A Fall Prevention Resource
If you’re a senior living in Prescott or the Verde Valley area, contact our Prescott office today to learn more about at-home care services with Visiting Angels.