Getting older has its downsides and its drawbacks, quite often older people are slower to do things and general everyday tasks can take longer than they used to. Your home should be a calm, comfortable and welcoming environment that is suitable for anyone, and most like it is, but could it be better for the elderly loved ones and elderly family members who need to be thought about and considered a little bit more.This is especially important for those receiving in-home care services, like those having the In-Home Aged Care Services Sydney, Care For Family are offering, as carers will need to access certain areas of the home with ease, and be confident that the patient is comfortable at home if left unattended. To make each visit comforting and as stress-free as possible, companies use home health care management software to access certain information about the individual which includes a variety of things such as routines and weekly jobs that will need completing. These types of software are also great for timekeeping, ensuring your employees are on time for each person.
How to Make Changes to Your Home
Changing and adapting your home for elderly loved ones does not have to be costly or timely, there are lots of little things you can do in and around your home to make everywhere more comfortable and safe. For example, you could make sure that all loose rugs and carpets are secured to the floor ensuring they do not walk and become a trip hazard. You could label kitchen cupboards using large, easy-to-read fonts so that family members or caregivers from a home care agency looking after your loved one can quickly and easily find the kitchen items and equipment they need without having to keep asking for your help.
Why You Need to Focus on Accessibility
Trips within the home can happen at any time and the worst part of it all is that they are preventable. If your home is not accessible for your elderly loved ones then they can trip and seriously injure themselves, and you wouldn’t want this on your conscience. Making your home more accessible also means your elderly loved ones will retain their independence and freedom for a bit longer. Nobody wants to see their relatives end up in a care facility or residential home so by adapting your home and making it more comfortable you can ensure they stay with you for as long as possible.
Tackling the Stairs – Inserting a Stair Lift
Stairs can be a nightmare, especially for an older person who may be a bit unsteady on their feet. As stairs can be daunting for many people it may be worth installing a stair lift. A stair lift? And if you ask how much does a stair lift cost, the answer is that they are quite affordable actually. Over the years the prices of stair lifts and other home adaptations have come down so much that it is now very affordable and realistic to install and maintain a stair lift within your home.
When looking at stair lifts it is important to get the right one, build quality and reputation matters after all you don’t want the lift breaking down halfway up the stairs in the middle of a journey do you. Quality Is important to don’t try to scrimp and save just to save a bit of money as in the long run, it will not pay off.
Give Them Their Own Downstairs Toilet and Washing Facilities
Washing and going to the toilet upstairs might now be a problem but you don’t need to worry as rooms can be converted into toilets and adaptations can be made to turn even blank garages into fully functional toilets and shower rooms. When you give your elderly loved ones peace, quiet, and privacy you ensure they are as comfortable as possible. Allowing them to use the bathroom freely and as they want will save any embarrassment on their part which may be caused every time they ask to use the upstairs toilet.
Recliner Chairs and Beds
Elderly people can find it difficult to get up, and they can become set rigid after sitting down for too long or sleeping in the same position for a fixed period. To aid your loved one and to make their life even easier you should look at getting reclining chairs and armchairs that fit within your living room, and also adjustable beds that allow them to maneuver, lift and alter their bed as they see fit. When your elderly loved one has slept better or sat better you will notice an improvement in their behavior which should be positive for everyone within your home.
Making changes before it is too late is important, small but noticeable changes to your home will ensure that your loved one enjoys their time with you, improvements also ensure that you provide a good quality of living and good quality of life which they might not have if you do not go ahead with the alterations and adaptations. Remember to always check the quality of products you are adding to your home to ensure they are safe. Safety should always be your top priority, well ahead of cost and budget.
