A mobility aid can help your elderly loved one regain their independence and move freely around their home. However, even when using a mobility aid, a senior might be at risk of a fall or accident, especially if they live in a cluttered home.
Family members and caregivers can make the environment safer by eliminating clutter, removing obstacles, ensuring proper lighting, and installing safety features. Here are some top safety tips for seniors who use mobility aids at home.
Consult With a Physician Before Buying a Mobility Aid
While buying your loved one a mobility aid is a very thoughtful gesture, they aren’t always ‘one size fits all.’ Your loved one may need a specific type of assistive device with specific features. If you buy them a walker or cane and they really need a mobility scooter, they may still be at risk of an injury.
To make sure this doesn’t happen, consult with their physician first. Their physician or physical therapist can guide you toward buying the appropriate type of mobility aid for your loved one’s condition, age, lifestyle, and needs. The most common types of mobility aids for seniors are:
- Canes
- Walkers
- Rollators
- Wheelchairs
- Mobility scooters
Ensure Proper Size and Fit
It’s important to ensure the proper size and fit for the mobility aid. Most can be adjusted to make sure they have the right height, seat width, handlebar placement, and footrest height. Proper adjustments can make the aid safer and more comfortable for your loved one to use. If they try to use one that isn’t properly fitted or adjusted, they might find it uncomfortable, which will discourage them from using it. It could also end up being a safety hazard.
Schedule a Home Safety Evaluation
As people age, their risk of a fall increases significantly, even in their own home. When your loved one is recovering from an injury or surgery or has a chronic condition or disability that affects their mobility, their fall risk is even higher.
If your loved one is not yet ready to make the transition into assisted living and wants to age in place in their own home, you must do everything possible to make the home safe. A home safety evaluation is a professional assessment of the interior and exterior of the home.
The person assessing the home will go through a checklist to carefully evaluate the condition, safety, and maneuverability of each area. They will then give you a detailed report of their findings and recommendations. They can even refer you to a reputable local handyman who can make repairs and install safety features.
Get Rid of Clutter
Clutter around the home can be a tripping hazard, and can make it hard for your loved one to navigate safely. Regularly remove clutter and put items away properly so that it’s safer and easier to move around the home.
Maintain Clear Pathways
Maintain clear pathways throughout the home. Get rid of rugs or carpeting with curled edges or corners that could pose a tripping hazard. Replace or repair flooring with loose boards or tiles. Remove cords that stretch across pathways. Consider rearranging furniture that makes it hard to use a mobility aid to maneuver around a room, through a hallway, in and out of doorways, or around corners.
Install Grab Bars and Safety Railings
Getting in and out of a mobility device like a mobility scooter or wheelchair can also pose a safety hazard. If your loved one uses a walker or cane, they may encounter areas where they are more likely to trip, like steps, stairs, or changes in flooring type. Install grab bars and safety railings in key areas of the home:
- Next to the toilet
- Inside the bathtub or shower
- Around the bed
- Near the sofa or other places your loved one sits
- In hallways
- On steps or stairs
Upgrade Lighting
Poor lighting can increase the risk of a slip and fall. Make sure there is adequate lighting inside and outside of the home, especially in areas your loved one may navigate at night or early in the morning, like the hallways, bathrooms, and kitchen.
Remove Rugs
Rugs can be a major tripping hazard as they can get caught up in the wheels or legs of assistive mobility devices. If a rug is old or damaged, it is an even bigger danger. Remove rugs and other obstacles from pathways, or install a non-slip mat underneath rugs to prevent movement.
Integrate Smart Home Features
Traditional lights, blinds, thermostats, and appliances may require bending, reaching, pulling, or other movements that can be hard for someone with limited mobility. Integrating smart home features can make it much easier for your loved one to maintain their safety and independence.
Voice-activated devices or devices that can be used with a remote or smartphone app will allow your loved one to control them even if they can’t get up. The best smart devices for people with disabilities or limited mobility are:
- Smart lights or light bulbs
- Smart thermostat
- Motorized window shades
- Voice-activated assistants like Amazon Echo or Google Home
- Smart locks
- Smart doorbells
- Smart security systems
- Motorized doors
- Room occupancy sensors
- Motion-sensor lighting
- Smart televisions and radios
- Smart appliances
- Medical alarms
Be sure to set these features up for your loved one and spend time teaching them how to use them. If your loved one has an in-home caregiver, they should also know how to use the devices properly.
Encourage the Use of Assistive Devices
Assistive devices make it easier to do routine tasks like picking something up off the floor, reaching something on a counter or shelf, or pressing buttons on a device. Encourage your loved one to use assistive devices around the home to reduce the risk of injury, a fall, or discomfort. These devices can make the home safer and enhance your loved one’s independence and quality of life if they are not yet ready to move into an assisted living facility:
- Assistive eating devices
- Magnifiers
- Screen readers
- Screen magnification device or software
- Reaching or grabbing tools
- Writing supports
Regularly Evaluate the Condition of the Mobility Device
You should regularly evaluate your loved one’s mobility device to make sure it is still functioning properly. Inspect it for signs of damage, wear and tear, broken or missing parts, or settings that don’t work. Ask your loved one whether it is still working for them and if it is still comfortable and useful. If necessary, repair or replace parts so that it remains a safe and helpful tool. Consider upgrading to a different device as your loved one’s needs change.
Hire an In-Home Caregiver
Hiring an in-home caregiver can further maintain your loved one’s safety and comfort. At Placita In Home Care, our skilled senior care specialists will work closely with you to understand your loved one’s needs. We provide flexible, customized home health services that allow your loved one to age safely in place in the comfort of their own home.
Our caregivers can assist your loved one with mobility, ensuring they don’t suffer from a fall or accident in the home. We can also help with the tasks of daily living, such as bathing, grooming, personal hygiene, dressing, toileting, medication reminders, and meal preparation and eating.
Our caregivers offer guidance and support as well as companionship and conversation. If your loved one is recovering from an injury, illness, or surgery, we can provide joint replacement care and mobility assistance and rehabilitative care alongside their medical team. To schedule a consultation for in-home care in the Tucson or Phoenix metro area, call us today or fill out our contact form online.