By Lucy Jones
An overwhelming majority of people say that they would prefer to receive treatment and recuperate at home instead of a hospital in case they encounter a serious health issue.
Consequently, it comes as no surprise to find that around 85% of family caregivers are tending to patients who live with them. While some homes are perfectly suited to the special needs of the aging, the majority of residences require quite a few modifications to make them patient-friendly.
You may not always have the money available to make substantial changes to your home so that you can look after your aging senior better, however with some research and expert advice it is possible to make changes that would make your home a safer and more usable space.
While reading up on the Internet is a good idea, you could also think about consulting a physical therapist or people who are qualified in taking care of geriatric patients in your area. Some useful tips for adjusting your home:
Some Basic Modifications of Your Home
Even when making home modifications, your aim should be on how your home can remain stylish, safe, and comfortable for residents or visitors. It is not necessary for you to make all the modifications at one go and you can keep on undertaking them as the needs change over time.
Consider making all doorways and entrances zero-threshold to facilitate the movement of walkers and wheelchairs as well as to make it easy for carrying in grocery bags and suitcases. You can install offset door hinges to overcome the limitations of narrow doorways.
Also, make sure that all the electrical switches and controls are within reach of the person in a wheelchair. Install doorknobs and handles that are easy to use on the doors that will be used by the senior as well.
Similarly, in the bathroom, availability of grab bars and provision of a raised toilet can make life really easy. If the senior or the person on the wheelchair needs to access the kitchen, then installing countertops with variable heights can be very useful in preventing the unnecessary strain of bending over or having to reach out.
Make Safety the First Priority
One-third of adults in the 65+ age category fall and sustain serious injuries so it should be a top priority to keep your home safe. Safety does not have to be radical but instead, a series of small steps will do the job.
Brighter lighting, especially near the stairs, removing rugs or small carpets, removing wheels on chairs that don’t need them, installing hand rails, etc. can do wonders to improve the general safety for geriatric people living in the house.
If the senior has dementia and prone to wandering off then installation of motion sensors in places that they are not supposed to be in can be very helpful in alerting you to the possibility of a hazard. You can read more about how to make your home safer for seniors at assistinghandshouston.com.
Use Home-Based Services to the Maximum
If the senior person living with you has a mobility problem, then it becomes a huge problem to take him outside for various therapies that are necessary. However, almost all contemporary neighborhoods in America has various service providers that can deliver the same service right to your home and thus should be actively considered for obtaining speech, physiotherapy, or music therapies right at home.
Also, you can access home care services that can provide professionals to take care of bathing and grooming, as well as delivery of meals or conducting lab tests at home. Comfort Keepers gives seniors the best in-home care in Ft Lauderdale
Conclusion
Taking care of geriatric patients is not something that you should be afraid of. With a little planning and assessment of the issues that may be faced, you can provide the elder living with you the comfort, safety, and security of a home.