If you have an elderly relative that you hold dearly, they probably bring a lot of joy to your life and the life of your family. Many of them are most likely very independent, and still live in their own homes.
Though this is ultimately a good thing in many ways, the older they get, the more concerns they may have about their safety. These can come in many different forms, but it’s important for you to understand them so that you can help your older relatives deal with them. Here are just a few of these concerns.
- Accessibility in their own home
As they get older, it’s natural for moving around to become more difficult. Something that they used to do with ease a few years ago, is now a bit of struggle. Though this is mostly manageable day-to-day, they have to have the right equipment around them, to make it as easy as possible.
Even something like the same flight of stairs they’ve been using for years, can now seem like an accident waiting to happen.
To tackle this, you can talk to your elderly relative about their specific concerns and see if there are ways around this. If they are really struggling with the stairs, getting a stairlift, or moving their bedroom downstairs if possible, are two solutions to this issue. Alternatively, if they have other needs that mean their home is no longer really the best place for them to be, you might want to consider moving them into an exceptional senior living facility where their needs will be properly accommodated.
- Vandalism
It’s worryingly common just how often the homes of older people are vandalized. Unfortunately, these low-life individuals, exploit the fact that older people have certain physical limitations and feel more confident breaking into their homes.
There are ways to prevent vandalism though, which can really provide peace of mind for your older loved ones. Something like installing an alarm, can be done in a matter of hours, to provide years of security.
Alarms act as deterrents, and can stop criminals in their tracks. Just think about it: choosing between two homes, a criminal is much more likely to break into the one without the alarm installed.
Security is getting much smarter, with many homes being protected by smart devices.
- Having too much stuff to move
A lot of older people that still live at home, have lived there for many, many years. When you’ve lived somewhere for decades, the stuff you own, can really add up. A full lifetime can bring with it, an abundance of belongings, and these all have to be moved one day.
Many elderly people have the concern, that when they eventually want to move, they will have too much stuff to take with them. This can be made manageable though, as it’s just about chatting with your elderly relative and putting in an action plan, to reduce the amount they’ve got.
It may take a clear out or two, to make them feel their possessions are more moveable, but you won’t know this until you decide to tackle the issue together. Having this chat can reassure them that they’ll be able to move what’s most important to them, which will be a huge weight off their shoulders.
