Preparing Your Home for Senior Care: Avoiding Potential Hazards

Preparing Your Home for Senior Care and home safety is important for everyone, but is especially true for those caring for an aging parent or loved one. There are a variety of products on the market that help seniors stay safe while maintaining some of their independence. There are also a variety of ways to modify your home to help you in preparing your home for senior care and allow your family to be ready for a live-in situation.

How Modular Rooms Can Assist in Preparing Your Home for Senior Care

One aspect that immediately confronts most people is the physical layout and characteristics of their house. When preparing a home for senior care, it may be as simple as putting in a wheelchair ramp. In other cases, a bigger home project may be required. Did you know that there are even companies that sell pre-manufactured module rooms? These modular rooms can be an affordable alternative to a traditional home addition. For one such option, visit www.palsbuilt.com.

To eliminate potential hazards that your loved one may face when living in your home, consider these safety tips in preparing your home for senior care:

• Make sure the house has fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, and carbon monoxide detectors in working order.
• Remove locks from bedrooms and bathroom doors to prevent your loved one from accidentally becoming locked inside.
  Keep areas where people walk free of furniture to reduce the risk of accidental falls.
• Place night lights near your loved one’s bedroom and the bathroom to prevent tripping or falls during the night.
• Eliminate slippery surfaces in the bathroom by placing nonskid strips or a mat in the tub or shower.
• Lock up potentially dangerous items by installing childproof latches on cabinets and drawers. Limit access to cleaning products, matches, alcohol, scissors, and knives.

Careful planning can make all the difference in helping your aging loved one enjoy living at your home while staying safe. The good news is that with a little bit of planning, you can more easily create a livable situation for everyone involved. If you are looking for advice on how to find your way through the maze of rules and regulations regarding in-home care, speak with an experienced elder law attorney.