When relatives get older, it can be hard to watch them start to become less independent and have to rely on others more. Often, there is a period of time when they have lost a lot of their abilities to do things that they used to be able to do, but they aren’t quite at the stage where they need to go into a care home or have a full-time carer. This is also a period of time when they feel very resistant to getting help from others – growing old and incapable of things is something that many people are in denial about, so they want to try and live life normally. Here are a couple of ways that you can ensure your older relative is safe at home, especially if they are still living alone.
Stocking Up on Food Thickeners
Firstly, eating is a potential hazard for older people, especially choking. One of the safest ways to combat this is through using food thickeners, which are perfect for making foods or drinks thicker and they are great for avoiding choking. Some examples of things that food thickeners can be used in are soups, a drink or even a dish such as a casserole. Check out SimplyThick for all of your food thickening needs. You can use these products to make whatever consistency you like – pudding, honey or nectar, depending on what you want the intended outcome to be. This will put your mind at rest when your elderly relative is eating and will make their life a lot safer.
Having Easy to Use Technology
Technology is something elderly people commonly struggle with, so you should make sure your relative has easy to use technology, for both practicality and their safety. Older people are often the victims of fraud so, where you can, try and educate them on things they should do or avoid to try and save themselves from being scammed in some way. Technology is easy to use if it just has a couple of buttons and clear instructions on how to do daily activities.
Have a Safe Bathroom
Bathrooms are another potential hazard for old people, so you need to make sure a bathroom is age-friendly when having it installed. This includes having rounded bathroom accessories that won’t hurt too much if a fall occurs, having a shower or bath that doesn’t get too hot, and having some soft shower mats down so that slipping won’t occur. You could even install a rail in the bathroom, so that your relative has something to hold onto when walking around the room.
Being supportive of your relative is so important, but they may not want to feel too ‘smothered’ with care, which is why the best option is often to leave them to have some independence, while making sure they are as safe as they can be. You should try and keep them feeling as though they can call you whenever there is a problem too, so it is ideal if somebody lives nearby.
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