There is a reason that the vast majority of elderly adults report that they want to remain in their own home throughout the rest of their lives. The home is where you are most comfortable and at ease. It is familiar and feels safe. For an elderly adult, they might have spent many decades in their home and could have shared the environment with their partner. This creates memories that they cherish and that they do not want to leave.
As a family caregiver, you can help your parent to remain in their own home for longer by making meaningful modifications to their environment. These modifications can help them to maintain a higher level of function and accessibility within the space while also boosting safety, security, and comfort. One area of the home where this is particularly important is the kitchen.
Use these tips to help improve home safety and accessibility in the kitchen:
• Ensure easy accessibility of cabinets. You do not want your elderly loved one to have to reach, climb, or attempt otherwise risky maneuvers just to get inside their cabinets and access what they need inside. Move items that are used most frequently to the cabinets that are most easily reached and large or heavy items to the lower cabinets.
• Use “lazy” features. Features such as Lazy Susans and pull-out cabinets allow for more storage in cabinets and allow for easier access to the things inside of them, eliminating reaching and pulling.
• Simplify use of the faucet. Seniors with pain, stiffness, or loss of range of motion in their hands can have difficulty using traditional faucets. This can even result in them accidentally scalding themselves with hot water. Simplify the use of their faucet by installing a touch-style version. This eliminates the need to use knobs or handles.
• Reduce slip risk. Water, food, and cleaning materials can create slippery conditions in the kitchen, increasing the risk that your parent will experience a fall. Reduce this risk by adding nonslip mats in front of the sink and the dishwasher.
If your aging parent’s needs and challenges have increased to the point that you are no longer able to handle them effectively, or your own schedule or limitations have changed and reduced your ability to give your senior the care that they need, now may be the ideal time for you to consider starting home care for them. An in-home care services provider can be an exceptional benefit both to your senior and to you. By filling care gaps that might exist in the efforts that you offer them and creating a set of highly personalized services, this care provider can ensure that your senior gets everything that they need to stay safe, healthy, and comfortable both when you are able to be with them and when you are not. This allows your parent to pursue a lifestyle that is active, independent, and
An in-home care services provider can be an exceptional benefit both to your senior and to you. By filling care gaps that might exist in the efforts that you offer them and creating a set of highly personalized services, this care provider can ensure that your senior gets everything that they need to stay safe, healthy, and comfortable both when you are able to be with them and when you are not. This allows your parent to pursue a lifestyle that is active, independent, and fulfilling and eases your stress, supporting a better quality of life for both of you.
If you or an aging loved-one are considering homecare in Tigard, OR, to give your family some respite, please contact the caring staff at Integrity In-Home Care.
Call today (503) 660-3755
