5 simple modifications to make your home safer
If you are providing aged care at home services for someone you love, it's easy to become concerned about their safety while alone at home. After all, falls and related injuries are common among the elderly.
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23 June 2022
Stories
| Home Care
If you are providing aged care at home services for someone you love, it's easy to become concerned about their safety while alone at home. After all, falls and related injuries are common among the elderly. With more than 1 million people over 65 using home care services in Australia today, this concern has never been more prevalent. Thankfully, a few simple modifications can help to reduce your loved one's chances of serious injury around the home.
1) Installing grab bars
Grab rails around the home increase confidence. After all, accidents don't just happen in the bathroom. Grab rails make standing easier for an older person, reducing joint stress. They also reduce the risk of falling and are ideal for those who find it difficult or impossible to get up from a seated position by themselves.
2) Improving lighting
As we age, our pupils decrease in size, which means our eyes need higher light levels for us to be able to see clearly. These light levels are a must-have if you are looking to improve the overall safety around the home and should be considered in all areas of the home.
3) Installation of handrails and shower seats
Installing shower seats and handrails in your bathroom is one of many modifications that can improve safety for older people in their homes. These should be installed to avoid slips and falls. The extra stability that these fixtures provide makes bathroom time safer.
Shower seats are often overlooked in home care but can offer valuable support for older people with limited mobility. They are designed for people who cannot stand in the shower or bath and must sit instead to wash. They provide essential stability in a high-risk area and a comfortable resting place to allow older people to focus on the task at hand.
It might seem obvious, but handrails in the bathroom assist with balance and preventing falls. They're easy to install in any bathroom and can potentially reduce the chance of a fall by up to 50%. And they can be installed as part of a home care package. The ideal locations for handrails are beside the toilet, tub and shower or shower door.
4) Adding a toilet seat riser
A toilet seat riser is a product that increases the height of a standard toilet seat, reducing the need to bend to sit down. This can be especially helpful for older people who may have difficulty bending down due to osteoporosis or other mobility issues. It can also help people with injuries or disabilities in their legs who otherwise would have to sit on the toilet while partially standing, which is awkward and uncomfortable.
5) Addressing security concerns
Elderly people are more vulnerable and isolated than most, which makes them easy targets for criminals and vagrants. Thankfully, there are a few simple solutions to help improve security without breaking your budget:
(1) Install alarms in common problem areas such as windows, sliding doors, and toilets;
(2) Add a security camera;
(3) Keep first-aid supplies and emergency phone numbers easily accessible.
If you or your loved one required home care modifications, contact the BaptistCare home care team. We provide each client with their own dedicated customer service representative who can talk you through all of the home care packages, guide you through the ACAT assessment process for applying for home care and explain all relevant home care services relevant to you.
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