Hearing that your senior is reluctant to leave their own home might feel frustrating to you as their family caregiver. But, this is a very common goal for aging adults and you may be able to help them to reach it.
Do a Safety Sweep of Their Home
If your elderly family member’s home isn’t safe enough for them to be in now, it’s definitely not going to be safe for them months and even years from now. It’s vital that you both go through their home and look at every room through the lens of making it as safe as possible. This means removing rugs that are slippery, adding grab bars in specific locations, and verifying that lighting is bright enough. If you do this periodically, you can keep up with changes as they need to happen.
Put Together a Fall Prevention Plan
Falls are extremely dangerous for aging adults. Part of your safety sweep involves paying attention to possible tripping hazards, but a fall prevention plan takes that a step further. Your senior’s fall prevention plan might involve talking with their doctor about adding exercise to their daily routine or using assistive tools to help them avoid a fall.
Consider Help on Their Terms
Your elderly family member might not feel that they are ready right now for additional help from senior care providers. But, having companion care at home can be incredibly helpful for aging family members. Your senior can avoid the problems that loneliness can bring and there’s help right there with them if they do need a little bit of extra assistance.
Make it Easy to Keep Up With Appointments
Another reason to consider companion care at home could involve helping your senior to get to medical and other appointments as needed. This is especially important if your elderly family member isn’t able to drive any longer or if they have memory issues that make appointments a little more complicated. Practical ideas, like keeping a calendar that they can see any time, are also helpful in keeping them on target with appointments.
Aging in place is an extremely common goal and your senior may be adamant that this is what they want. It may well be possible for them, but having a plan is going to help ensure greater success. Revisit the plan periodically, too, so that you can make sure to cover all the bases.
