Most of the time, when people picture themselves in old age, they’ll either see themselves in their current home or another house of their choosing. The idea is that they’ll retain their independence and be living on their own. If this sounds like you, here’s a quick look at a few tips that can help you safely age in place.
Technology
One large fear that many family members, and the seniors themselves, have is the possibility of them injuring themselves or having some sort of medical emergency when nobody is near to call for a bit of help. Medical alert systems can assist with easing those fears by monitoring the well-being of the senior and getting in touch with loved ones and emergency services whenever they experience an emergency or a fall. This alone can make a massive difference when it comes to medical emergencies and ensure that people aging alone will get the help they need as soon as possible. Ideally seniors who spend the year broken up between multiple states or time zones have been set up with alerts and mobile tracking already. Once settled for a few months in that next location like Winters in Arizona and summers in the Northeast, they can set up home health aide in New York, Florida, Texas, or California for the duration of their stay.
Lighting
The better you’re able to see what’s in front of and around you, the more you’ll be able to reduce your risk of tripping over and running into things. Add a bit of LED lighting low on your walls anywhere there’s a step or anything you might run into or trip over. You might also want to add them underneath the cabinets in your kitchen in order to give your countertops more lighting for food prep.
Professionals
People like caregivers and professional cleaners can be more helpful than you know. A caregiver can help with things like getting meals ready, administering medications and more. Cleaners can help you ensure that your home stays clean and a healthier and safer place for you to live. Both can provide both your family and yourself with a bit more peace of mind when it comes to aging in place.
Cabinets
Anytime you need to utilize a stepladder or a chair in order to reach something in your cabinets, you’re risking your safety. A good weekend project would be to reorganize all of the cabinets in your home to move things that currently might be out of reach a bit lower so that they’re more accessible. Have a friend or family member assist you with this because if you need to climb on something to get it done, you’re actually defeating the purpose.
Furniture
Each and every single room in your home needs to have clearly delineated paths that you can take in order to get around without risking tripping over or running into anything. More than likely, that will mean needing to rearrange the furnishings in your home in order to move things flush against walls or out of your way. Don’t attempt this by your lonesome either. Ask a friend or loved one to assist you. If you find things that just won’t be moved out of your way, get rid of them. Remember your safety is more important than your sense of aesthetics.
Floor Coverings
Finally, rugs can be a danger to seniors. The edges can lead to tripping, and if the rug gets bunched up, that can also be hazardous to staying upright. No matter how visually appealing they may be, they aren’t worth a broken hip.
A lot of seniors mat decide to age in place because to them it’s the option that will give them the best quality of life in their golden years. Carefully consider if this is the case for you, or if you might be better off living with family, friends, or in an assisted living facility.
