Private Home Care

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If you've got an elderly parent, or an aging loved one in need of at home care, before you even consider hiring a private home care worker, you should first make the home environment more safe and easier to navigate. Though it's very helpful to have an in-home care provider providing daily or weekly assistance, it's still important to make sure you and your loved one are aware of the potential dangers in one's home and prepare accordingly. The following are a few of the more common areas of a home that can be made safer at very minimal cost:

In stairways, hallways, and pathways:

* Make sure there is good lighting with light switches at the top and bottom of the stairs.
* Keep areas where you walk tidy.
* Check that all carpets are fixed firmly to the floor so they won't slip. Put no-slip strips on tile and wooden floors. You can buy these strips at the hardware store.
* Have handrails on both sides of all stairs—from top to bottom—and be sure they're tightly fastened.

In bathrooms and powder rooms:

* Mount grab bars near toilets and on both the ...
... inside and outside of your tub and shower.
* Place non-skid mats, strips, or carpet on all surfaces that may get wet.
* Keep night-lights on.

In bedrooms:

* Put night-lights and light switches close to the bed.
* Keep the telephone as close to the bed as possible.

In other living areas:

* Keep electric cords and telephone wires close to walls and away from walking paths.
* Tack down all carpets and area rugs firmly to the floor.
* Arrange furniture (especially low coffee tables) and other objects so they are not in the pathway when anyone in the home is walking through.
* Make sure sofas and chairs are a good height for the senior, so they can get in and out of them easily.

Another more helpful suggestion would be to adopt a ‘global' perspective in the commitment to remove the clutter from their home. Old newspapers, magazines and books are often the easiest to toss, without getting into any emotional tugs-of-war with a senior who may not want to let go of things that are more sentimental. The other easy way to remove clutter is to go closet-by-closet, and remove just a few items at a time, and ask your parent or the elder in need, if they either want to keep the item, discard it, donate it, or what they want to do with it. This empowers them to make the decision, involves them in something, which is more out of the ordinary for their day, and helps them keep control of their living environment, which is their home.

Not only will removing clutter empower the senior and make their private home environment safer, but it will have the additional health benefit of getting rid of dust and even mold that may be accumulating on the item, and negatively impacting the health of the elderly residents!