Ensuring Safety Within the Home
Sickness, disability, or aging can make it harder to cope with daily activities and remain safe at home. Day-to-day tasks, like keeping the house clean and neat, can take much longer or become impossible to do – and the change might take place slowly, but it will erode your control and make you vulnerable over time. You might be more likely to fall or catch an infection anyway. The other reason is that you are much less likely than younger people to have an immune system that can defend yourself. Although the possibility may be causing some form of concern on the side of danger, the counter to that happening is it is easy for one to be wary and know that preparedness is just as simple. Here are some helpful examples:
Home Furnishings and Flooring
Ensure that the furniture you select provides both comfort and ease of use.
When selecting chairs, choose ones you can sit in and stand up from easily.
Some people find it helpful to use extra cushions or have a walking stick ready to provide additional stability.
Arrange the furniture so it won’t block your path when moving around.
You may also find it helpful to have some extra handles fitted in places where you might need to pause for a moment or to steady yourself – next to the front door to check for keys, for example.
Finally, ensure you’re not creating a trip hazard by putting down rugs and mats in the wrong places. Also, ensure that the places where you’re regularly walking—on stairs and in doorways—don’t have frayed carpets. If they might, you can temporarily fix the carpet near where you’re walking with some strong tape.
Cooking in the Kitchen
Put in extra effort to keep the kitchen tidy throughout your visit.
The kitchen should look at least as clean as it did when you arrived, and it’s a good idea to leave yourself notes with reminders of critical odd jobs or any appointments you have made for your return.
Use fridge magnets, if available, to put these notes in a prominent place – on the outside of the fridge.
Be very deliberate about following the basic rules of kitchen safety. Keep knives safely stored. Keep the handles of pans on the hob pointing to the side (use the back rings, if possible). Don’t leave cooking unattended.
Try to avoid over-filling cups with hot liquids.
And if you need to carry drinks from room to room, use a tray if that is practicable.
Try to prepare food according to instructions, and don’t mix chopping boards: if you use a board to prepare raw food, make sure you use a different one to prepare anything else.
Make sure you have enough light.
On a dull day and at dusk, turn the lights on so you can see what you are doing and turn them off again when you’ve finished.
In the Bathroom
Like other parts of the house, it’s crucial to ensure you can reach everything you need without losing balance.
Adding extra handrails or handles makes entering and exiting the shower or bathtub easier.
A rail or bar next to the toilet is also worth considering.
Many of these bars can be attached with powerful suction cups, requiring no installation. Inside the bathtub, use a non-slip bath mat and take your time.
It’s also beneficial to control the amount of water splashed out and work on strategies to manage it, such as placing an additional bath mat to absorb excess water in a confined space.
Ascending or descending the steps of a staircase
Some handrails can be challenging to hold on to.
Consider replacing the handrail or adding more handles along the stairs.
Ensure the carpets are not so worn that they pose a tripping hazard.
If there isn’t a bright light, turn on the lights as you go up and down the stairs. You can turn them off after you have reached the top or bottom.
“In the Bedroom” could be “Within the Bedroom.”
Similar to other furniture in the room.
When assessing the bed, make sure it’s easily accessible. If not, consider raising the bed or looking into a different mattress. If you’re unsteady when moving about, consider adding railings.
Avoid obstacles that could potentially cause falls.
Keep the room brightly lit for those midnight treks.
Outdoors
If you have a garden or outdoor space, also take steps to secure it.
Ensure that it’s well-lit in the evening before you go out. Make sure to safely remove trip hazards and to fix loose paving stones or slippery paths.
Install an extra railing anywhere that could use added support.
Devoted Home Care Services carers have a wealth of experience in providing support in numerous scenarios. Throughout our evaluation and care plan, we are positioned to provide suggestions to strengthen the basic security of your residence. In addition, it is plausible that clients may have access to Local Authority assistance for financial support in securing their living space to make it safer.