Many elderly Australian’s are preferring to live independently at home for as long as possible.
As we are a home care package provider in Bayswater, we absolutely understand why.
But we’re also advocates for living safely too which is why we thought it would make sense to talk about how you can live safely in your own home whilst living independently.
We believe that there are a number of things that can be done initially to help an elderly person live safely in their own home.
Removing All Tripping Hazards
Things to remove include any clutter, poor lighting, and uneven surfaces. Replace these with easy to reach items such as phones and rails etc to ensure safety at all times.
Having a fall in their own home can be a concern for the elderly and their loved ones, so it’s important to remove these hazards where possible.
Wearing Well-Fitted Shoes
In addition to removing any hazards that may cause a fall within your loved ones’ home, wearing well-fitted shoes is something that is often forgotten.
Combining a pair of well-fitted, non-slip shoes, with a mobility aid (if necessary), will go a long way to keep an elderly person safe whilst they are living independently.
Aware of Their Surroundings
It’s incredibly important that elderly people are very much aware of their surroundings within their own homes.
Ways in which this can be achieved are ensuring that doors and windows are secured shut when necessary.
Also, online safety and privacy are incredibly important, as is communicating on the phone with people they don’t know.
Emergency Plan
Whilst we recommend doing everything possible to prevent accidents from occurring in the home, sometimes they’re unavoidable.
This is why it’s important to have an emergency plan in place with an emergency kit including your medication, emergency contact numbers, and more.
Furthermore, ensure that smoke alarms are in working order in case of a fire. These also need to be tested regularly.
Also, ensure relevant powerpoint sockets should never be overloaded with appliances and electrical cords aren’t damaged.
What Support Options are Available?
Always remember that care and support services are available to those elderly people who would prefer the option of living independently.
There are a number of options available for the types of care and support services which include everything from short-term support and home modifications to regular home care.
A home care package will be able to provide services such as general tasks around the home, transport assistance, as well as daily calls with reminders of what needs to be done on that day such as attending medical appointments.
Further to this level of care, staying connected with others in social settings is important for a number of reasons beyond social reasons.
Discussing and sharing any concerns with others might help an elderly person feel a little more at ease.
Whilst we strongly believe in what independent home living can do for elderly people, we also want to ensure that they can live safely as well.
As a home care package provider, we truly hope this article can help those elderly people, and their families, when deciding whether independent living is a viable option of care.
If you would like to find out more about how our Bayswater aged care home care packages can support you, please contact us to leave an enquiry or call us on (03) 8720 1338.