Hiring an in-home caregiver allows your loved one to stay at home rather than moving into a nursing home or assisted living home.
Your loved one will have more control over their environment and enjoy a better quality of life because they will be in a comfortable, secure environment surrounded by their own belongings.
However, even when you have an experienced in-home caregiver for your loved one, you still need to make sure your home is safe. Regular home safety checks can uncover early warning signs of problems that could cause a health or safety hazard if not addressed.
A home safety evaluation can also identify areas that need enhanced safety, such as improved flooring, lighting, or other safety features. Here is a look at why regular home safety checks are crucial for seniors.
Seniors and Falls – Managing the Risk at Home
Seniors are at a higher risk of falls, even in their own home. They may have declining eyesight, hearing, balance, and reflexes that make it harder for them to navigate tricky environments like steps and uneven flooring.
They also have reduced muscle mass, which makes it harder for them to recover if they stumble. They may take medications that affect their balance or cause dizziness or vertigo.
Many seniors have health conditions that contribute to mobility issues or poor balance, such as foot problems, osteoporosis or arthritis, or low blood pressure.
The most dangerous areas in the home for seniors are the bedroom, bathroom, and stairs.
You can reduce your loved one’s risk of a fall by scheduling an initial home safety evaluation to identify areas that could pose a trip and fall risk. You should also schedule regular home safety checks to make sure no new hazards have developed.
Avoid Long-Term or Fatal Injuries Due to a Fall
Not only are seniors at a higher risk of falls, but a fall can be more dangerous for seniors. Seniors are more likely to suffer major injuries in a fall, and those injuries can be long-term or even fatal.
Poor muscle mass, weak bones, a weakened immune system, and comorbid health issues can make fall-related injuries more complex.
If your loved one needs surgery after a fall, they could be at a higher risk of post-surgery complications like blood pressure problems, blood clot, stroke, heart attack, infection, excessive bleeding, and poor wound healing.
Another concern is depression and isolation during recovery. As your loved one recovers, they won’t be able to do the things they normally do day-to-day, and contact with friends and family may be limited. This could make your loved one feel isolated, depressed, and hopeless.
Identify Hidden Hazards in Your Home
Because you’re in your home every day, you may be blind to health and safety hazards that could affect your loved one.
Scheduling ahome safety evaluation and regular home safety checks can identify hidden health and safety hazards that you may not even be aware of.
The most common hazards identified in home safety checks are:
- Dangerous clutter
- Blocked doors and pathways
- Poor lighting
- Uneven or damaged flooring
- Trip hazards
- Damaged rugs or carpeting that pose a fall risk
- Items on high shelves that are hard to reach
- Broken or damaged stairs or steps
- Lack of handrails on stairs or steps
- Lack of grab bars or safety bars in the bathroom or bedroom
- Malfunctioning smoke detectors
- Lack of carbon monoxide detectors
- Electrical cords stretched across walkways
- Potential fire hazards
- Poor labeling of food and medication
- Improperly stored food and medication
- Slippery floor surfaces
- Pest or wildlife problems
- Broken or malfunctioning appliances
- Poorly performing heating and cooling systems
- No emergency exits and/or windows that are painted shut
- Doors and windows that don’t lock properly
- Doors that close and lock automatically, which could trap someone in a room or lock someone out of the house
Improve Response Time in an Emergency
A cluttered, messy home can have a huge impact on emergency response times. If your home has an overgrown yard, broken gates, poor lighting, blocked doors or pathways, or windows that are painted shut, emergency responders may have a hard time entering.
It may also be hard for your loved one to find their way out in an emergency.
If your home is hard to navigate during normal situations, imagine how hard it will be to navigate in an emergency situation when emotions and tensions are high.
Regular home safety checks can uncover areas of your home that would present a problem if your loved one had to escape due to a fire, carbon monoxide leak, or other emergency situation.
You can also make changes that make your home easier to access and navigate if your loved one or in-home caregiver has to call 911 due to a medical emergency.
Ensure Protection From Break-Ins and Security Issues
A home safety check can identify security issues that could put your loved one at risk. Broken or damaged doors and windows make an easy access point for criminals who are looking for a low-risk way into a home.
A lack of security lighting or a security system can also make your home a target for prowlers or burglars. Scheduling a home safety check can encourage you and your loved one to make changes that improve the security of your home, and to better understand the importance of home security.
You can use the safety check as an opportunity to educate your loved one about the dangers of allowing strangers in the home or leaving doors and windows unlocked.
You can also make important security upgrades, such as:
- Repairing or replacing broken or malfunctioning window and door locks
- Installing a security system
- Improving outdoor security lighting
- Installing motion-sensor lighting
- Setting up smart home features that turn on and off on a schedule
- Upgrading smoke, fire, and carbon monoxide detectors
- Setting up home monitoring services
- Installing window and door sensors
Increase Peace of Mind
Even if your loved one has an in-home caregiver, they may be alone for periods of time. You can increase your peace of mind and the peace of mind of your family by ensuring your home environment is as safe as possible.
An initial home safety evaluation is a good chance to identify problems that could become dangerous in the future, and to make changes that maintain your loved one’s comfort, health, safety, and happiness.
You and your family can feel comfortable going to work or running errands knowing that your loved one’s home safety has been prioritized.
Get Advice From a Professional
A home safety evaluation is performed by a professional who is trained to look for hidden hazards inside your home and in your yard, garage, and other areas.
They can give you professional advice and recommendations for ways to improve the safety and security of your home. They have specialized experience identifying issues that could affect seniors and increase the risk of a slip and fall, injury, or health issue.
They will provide you with a detailed report outlining their findings, which you can use to hire a home improvement specialist to make upgrades, changes, or repairs inside and outside your home.
Schedule a Free Home Safety Evaluation in Southern Arizona
At Placita In Home Care, we offer complimentary home safety evaluations in Southern Arizona. We recommend scheduling a home safety evaluation before you schedule in-home care services.
Our professional evaluators will do a comprehensive check of the inside and outside of your home to look for hazards that could affect your loved one’s health and safety.
We can also refer you to a trusted, reputable local handyman service to make necessary repairs and upgrades. In addition to home safety evaluations, we also offer high-quality, personalized in-home care services, including specialized Alzheimer’s care, memory care, joint replacement care, and hospice care services.
Call us now orcontact us online to schedule a consultation.