If your older family member has no major health problems and just needs help with a few tasks around the house, home health care may be a viable option. However, before you let your loved one continue to live there, make the sure the environment safe and free of hazards. Here are a few details to keep in mind.

How to Keep the Home Safe for an Aging Loved One

1. Poor Lighting

Older adults usually can’t see as well as their younger counterparts, so adequate lighting is essential. Before you arrange home health care services, go around the house and make sure there is sufficient lighting in the rooms, hallways, and stairways. If the lighting is dim, install new bulbs. If you don’t want your family member to go through the hassle of finding the light switches, consider adding motion sensor lighting.

2. Low Toilet Seats

As home health care specialists can attest, low toilet seats can be a hazard for seniors. Their leg muscles tend to lose strength with age, making it difficult to get up off the toilet. This weakness can increase the likelihood of a fall. If your family member’s toilet seat is too low, put a booster seat on top of it.

3. Throw Rugs

Throw rugs might pull a room together, but they also bunch up easily and can cause your loved one to trip. If you see any throw rugs in your family member’s house, replace them with sturdier alternatives. 

4. Faulty Smoke Detectors

If there is ever an instance when your elderly loved one forgets to turn off the stove, you’ll be thankful there are smoke detectors in the house. Check to see that there are smoke detectors in every room and that they work properly.

If an older family member requires additional help at home, trust the professionals at Lifetime Care. The home health care provider has been in business since 1960 and offers quality home health care services throughout New York’s Finger Lakes region, including skilled nursing, physical therapy, and personal care. They treat every person with compassion and help them make their day-to-day life easier. To learn more about their home elderly care services, call (585) 214-1000 to reach their Rochester location, (800) 598-4995 for Lakeville, or (315) 331-7990 for Newark, NY. You can also visit their website.