You need to understand that senior home care is actually an investment. As such, you need to make sure that you take care of this investment appropriately by providing a safe home for your folks and their respective care providers. Having alarms inside the home is always a good thing.
Speaking of safety precautions, you should also consider getting a fire extinguisher. This way you would be able to make sure that accidents are kept in check. You should also have your care professionals and your folks safe by checking wirings all over the house and making sure that no loose ones can be found.
The bathroom should also become a safe place for your folks and the senior home care assistant. During night time, instruct the caregiver to leave the lights on especially inside the bathroom of your folks. You should also keep tabs on the bathroom essentials and make sure they are replenished.
Another way you can make the bathroom more convenient to use is by adding some color coded information on the “hot” and “cold” switches respectively. You should also test if the door locks are working properly.
The kitchen is another area which you should take time to inspect. Consider the floors and make sure that they are clean enough and no unnecessary clutter can be found. You should also make sure that the switches on the appliances are marked accordingly so that the folks and the new senior home care assistant would be able to use it easily.
At this point, you should also make sure that sharp objects are kept out of easy reach. This way you can protect people in the said home against unnecessary damages. You should place these knives in a specific rack and mark it accordingly as well.
On your own, you can do simple things that can also help make it easier for your senior home care specialist to transition into this newfound care recipient. Just the simple initiative of providing a medicine organizer can go a long way.
Even if you already availed of senior home care services, you should still remember to have your folks take care of all by yourself. Visit them from time to time so that they would also not really feel that you haven’t been around that much.
Laura is healthcare expert who specializes in live-in care in Thompsons Station.