Analyze your home
carefully for safety problems. This may mean remodeling the home or
adding pieces of equipment to enable safe 
movement for both caregiver and care recipient. Consider these
pointsBathroom accessibility (is the
toilet high enough to be easily used without excessive bending, can a
wheelchair be maneuvered into the shower? (see bathroom
checklist here)
The next room should be the kitchen. if your loved one is
going to be using the kitchen at all, great care must go into preventing
burns, cuts from sharp objects and broken glass or china. The
temperature of water in the sink must be carefully regulated. (see kitchen
checklist here)
Now the living area can be worked on: Are there any trip
hazards? Floors with carpet provide an unstable footing for most
seniors. Loose rugs should be removed. In every area and especially
this area, adequate lighting is critical. Adequate will seem brighter
than needed to you. Look at the shelves, cabinets, tables, chairs - if
someone fell against them would they suffer cuts from sharp edges or
hardware? (see Living Area checklist here)
The bedroom is actually one
of the easier rooms with which to deal. Consider the kind of bed being
used. Do you need to upgrade to a hospital style bed that can be
adjusted to the most comfortable position. Can your loved get in and
out of bed easily or with proper help? Is the bed set up to minimize
pressure sores? There are many types of matreses and covers that reduce
the development of pressure sores. Can someone visiting your loved one
turns on lights when sit by the bed easily and still be seen? Think
of this room in the terms of bed-ridden even if your loved is able to
move around the house right now. The time might come when this room is
the primary area being used. (see Bedroom checklist here)
Hallways and miscellaneous
areas need to be kept clear of furniture, rugs, and brightly lighted at
all times. Using motion senor light switches helps minimize electric
bills while still ensuring light is easily available when someone enters
an area.
Entrances and exits to the home must be easily negotiable.
Ramps should meet ADA standards to prevent too steep a slope that could
promote falls. All ramps and stairways should have sturdy handrails on
both sides of the walk. the surface should be coated to prevent
slipping but not using abrasive grit that would result in substantial
tearing and injury if your loved were to fall.
You would be wise to have a
professional come into your home and make an assessment for you and
provide you with suggestions to help make the home as caregiving
friendly as possible.
Contact us at 808-625-3782 to arrange an inspection of
your loved one's dwelling.