Moving a senior relative in your home is a big decision. It will take compromise, and sacrifice, including some changes to your home itself in order to increase your loved one’s safety and comfort. Remember, needs change with age, and you need to ensure that your elderly relative can feel at home once they’ve moved in with you!

1. Install a lower peephole – particularly for seniors that live alone, a peephole is an important security measure. Osteoporosis can cause seniors to lose height, and causing them to strain to see out of a peephole is a danger

2. Reduce glare in the home – for the comfort of seniors, install blinds on the windows that can be adjusted depending upon the amount of light or glare coming into the home

3. Prevent falls with safety measures – put railings on stairs and in the bathroom, and to avoid slips remove area rugs

4. Control water temperatures of the faucets – seniors can scald themselves if they find it challenging to control water

5. Change door handles – seniors with arthritis often have trouble manipulating doorknobs; accommodate them by installing level handles or other assistive devices

6. Try to control clutter – whether a senior is moving in, or you’re trying to make their home a little safer, finding storage for all the extra items that are not regularly used is important to reduce clutter and increase safety

Via: Guide for  Boomers and Seniors who Live with Them

Greater Phoenix Senior Living & Central Phoenix Senior Living provides home care for elders and seniors . Call us! 623-583-5868, 480-991-3959 or 602-265-8228

Greater Phoenix Senior Living & Central Phoenix Senior Living provides home care for elders and seniors . Call us! 623-583-5868, 480-991-3959 or 602-265-8228.

With dropping temperatures, older adults being cared for at home, run a risk of health issues that are related to the cold. Some of these risks include fires and carbon monoxide poisoning. So it’s important that they, and those who give home care for older adults, take certain precautions this time of year.

Here’s what you need to know to protect an older loved one, from:

Fires and carbon monoxide poisoning: Burning wood, natural gas, kerosene and other fuels produces a gas that you cannot see or smell. It is a very deadly gas called carbon monoxide. Unless fireplaces, wood and gas stoves and gas appliances are properly vented, cleaned, and used, they can leak dangerous amounts of carbon monoxide. These and other appliances, such as kerosene and electric heaters, can also be fire hazards. You should:

Have fireplace and wood stove chimneys and flues inspected yearly and cleaned when necessary. (Ask your local fire department to recommend an inspector or look in the telephone book under “chimney cleaning”)
Put a smoke detector and battery-operated carbon monoxide detector in areas where you use fireplaces, wood stoves, or kerosene heaters.

• Open a window - just a crack will do - when using a kerosene stove
• Make sure space heaters are at least 3 feet away from anything that might catch fire, such as curtains, bedding and furniture
• Keep a fire extinguisher that can be used for a variety of types of fires, including chemical fires, in areas where you use fireplaces, wood stoves and kerosene heaters
• Never try to heat your home using a gas stove, charcoal grill, or other stove not made for home heating

Read the full article at The AGS Foundation.