Everyone wants to know their loved ones are safe. These five tips will make caring for your senior parent’s safety much easier
We all want the best for the people we care about. And when it comes to your aging parents, you’ll want to look out for their safety and wellbeing as they did for you.
But with a busy schedule, caring for another adult can become overwhelming. Luckily, technology, research, and care systems have come a long way to advance senior care and aging in place.
Ensuring your parent’s safety has never been easier. Here are five tips for caring for your elderly parents at home.
1. Set Up Alert Systems
When considering alert systems, you’ll probably be primarily concerned with security and falls. There are tons of great alarm services and providers, some of which are specifically geared toward the elderly.
There are smartphone applications that send an emergency notification and the phone’s GPS location to predetermined contacts at the push of a button.
There are also other single-function devices that accomplish the same thing if smartphones are a bit modern for your parent.
2. Install an Electric Stairlift
If your parent lives in a multi-story house, an electric stairlift may be a necessary addition to the home. Electric stairlifts increase safety at one of the most dangerous points in the house, keeping your parents safe and your mind at ease. Stairlifts are great for any staircase whether they be inside, outside, straight, or curved.
3. Get an Automatic Medicine Dispenser
Dispensing and monitoring medicines for your parent can be extremely time-consuming. What’s more, some medicines are taken at odd times of the day, which requires check-ins or trips home while working or performing other daily duties.
An automatic medicine dispenser can make taking care of your senior parent at home much less time-consuming. The machine dispenses the medicine on the appropriate day and time, preventing confusion, missed pills, and over-dosing.
4. Install Activity Sensors
Activity sensors aren’t as invasive as they sound. While they do monitor seniors’ activity and locations in the house, they do not necessarily need to report all of this information.
Sensors can be set up to send notifications if a senior has not moved from a location for many hours. The sensors could also pick up and notify if your parent was spending an odd amount of time where there are no seats, which would quickly register as an emergency.
5. Doorbell Monitors
Doorbell monitors are multi-use in a senior’s home. They increase security by allowing both you and your parent to see who is there from anywhere without opening or even being near the door.
They can also notify you if your parent leaves the house unexpectedly, which can help put your mind at ease if your parent is showing signs of age-related dementia.
Final Thoughts
The key to keeping your parents safe and comfortable is monitoring without being invasive. No one wants to feel as though they are being constantly watched.
But the facts of aging do require observation. These tips should help you and your parent find a balance between safety and independence.
Hopefully, you can have an honest, open discussion with your parent regarding their safety and comfort needs in light of these modern solutions.
Author’s Bio:
Joseph Jones has been writing senior care and aging-related articles for years. He got his start while writing for a personal blog before he was offered to work at California Mobility in 2018 as the Content Marketing Manager, creating highly informative guides and health awareness articles for aging adults.
He’s currently contributing to a variety of blogs in the senior health industry in hopes to spread information about taking care of seniors and what to expect in the aging process.