The elderly are susceptible as their immune system is no longer what it should be. Due to ageing or a medical condition, they can easily be infested with a disease. This is why it is very important that they keep good hygiene.
It is important that the senior take their bath daily and it should be well done.
All parts of their bodies must be thoroughly washed and clean.
Perineal care must be done the proper way.
Diapers must be removed and soiled clothes and bed sheets as well.
Grooming must not be skipped.
Ensure the hair is brushed, finger and toe nails must always be trimmed.
The teeth must be brushed thoroughly.
Regular hand wash must be done.
Ensure that they put on clean clothes and their rooms must be well swept and well ventilated.
Ensure social distancing is maintained and facemask is used.
All surfaces such as table surface, door handles and dusty surfaces must be kept clean always.
Doing these things will ensure that the seniors are protected from germs all the time.
Good hygiene ensures that seniors live healthy and live longer without which the reverse occurs.
They must eat balanced diet and well nourished food.
Ensure they drink clean water and stay in a clean and safe environment always.
Educate them always about the need to keep good hygiene and not to skip having their bath, brushing their teeth,grooming and to always observe hand wash and social distance procedures.
We want them to be healthy and happy.
It is our joint responsibility to ensure they do.
We are passionate about elderly care.
We are the first-class domiciliary caregivers providing affordable homecare services.
Check out our services for more information about our domiciliary care services.
www.rockgardenhomecareagency.com
Call us on: +2348167176778
We look forward to hearing from you today.
Seniors are usually seen as tired ,and inactive people who should be in bed for most of the time.
A lot of people think that after their retirement,they should only be eating, sleeping and be expecting death to come.
This wrong mind set has been the usual practice in most homes in our country and has made a lot of retirees and seniors in their early sixties to be down with different conditions and die prematurely as well.
We need to understand that as we age,the cells in our bodies and the organs are ageing as well.If they are not put to use by actively participating in activities of daily living (ADL). The cells get worn out and are unable to bring out new cells this way, we are dying daily and at a faster rate as a result of inactivity.
Here are some of the ADL (activities of daily living):walking, shaving, eating, bathing, excercise etc. Seniors should be encouraged to do these activities daily with as much independence as possible. Irrespective of the category that the senior falls under:
dependent senior.semi-dependent and the fully independent senior.
Most seniors are left to seat all through the day or to be in their room and in bed all through the day. We are not helping them to remain alive that way, rather we are fast tracking their death day. We must ensure we bring them back to their normal life as much as possible.
The question is, what does he or she love doing most? what are their hobbies? what gives them joy and fulfillment? If you can get the answers to the questions above,then you can surely help to bring out the best in them. For example, he or she loves playing football, or loves drawing, cooking, sewing clothes, writing or teaching. He or she must be encouraged to get involved in these activities and by so doing they are active and will still live a productive and fulfilled lives.
A senior can still be very useful to themselves,the family and the community. They can still be that mentor or hero that every one is looking upto and admire and wants to listen to. We need to create time for them. We need to listen to them,we need to show them love and make them know that they are still needed around. Most seniors are neglected and no one seems to care. They still have talents within them that we all need to harness and take advantage of. If we don’t, they will die with all those beautiful qualities that could have been put to use and we will regret it at the end of the day.Imagine a brilliant senior that could have passed knowledge down to the upcoming generation if he or she while still alive and opportuned to do so. The wisdom and the experience of their days will help our own generation to do things the right way.
We will as well learn from their own mistakes to avoid such. That the senior cannot talk anymore does not mean that he or she is no longer useful, encourage writing. The senior can no longer see, encourage talking, teaching, singing and dancing and so on. You have to be creative.
We have seen seniors that are still very useful and active.They still play games, sing, dance, interact with friends, participate actively in their community.Some still do business,teach adults and children,cook for the entire house, decorate the house, water the garden, draw, paint, write and offer high quality services such as barbing for others, baking, farming etc. They are still role models and have received awards for being very active and useful to the society even at old age.
We at Rockgarden Homecare agency have highly skilled,trained and experienced individuals who understand the seniors and will ensure we bring out the best in them. We understand the challenges seniors have especially when they have conditions such as dementia, depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorders, just to mention a few coupled with mobility issues. Some of them have multiple conditions affecting them and this makes it somewhat challenging to families to know how to care for them. We are ready to help.
We are ready to discuss with family members to see the best ways to ensure they still live a productive and fulfilled live. We have been helping seniors to bring out the best in them and we are very delighted to do the same for your loved one. We give you the best of homecare service.
Call or chat with us on: 08167176778.
Visit our website:www.rockgardenhomecareagency.com and fill out our assessment form and give us a call immediately.
We are the first-class domiciliary caregivers!
Elder abuse is a social problem that is devastating for victims and their families. It is fairly common and indeed a worldwide issue. Global organizations such as the World Health Organization and International Network for Prevention of Elder Abuse (INPEA) have brought worldwide interest to the issue of elder abuse. As adopted by WHO, elder abuse is defined as “a single or repeated act, or lack of appropriate action, occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust, which causes harm or distress to an older person.”
The problem of elder abuse is pervasive, showing up in various ways and forms across cultures and nations. It can come from various sources, such as people the older person knows, or has a relationship with such as spouses, family members, neighbours or friends, and indeed people the senior relies on for support services. Regardless of the form of abuse, one thing is very typical among all manner of abuse, which is the use of control and power by an individual to affect the status and well-being of an older individual.
In Africa, nay Nigeria, the issue of elder abuse has been on the front burner for a while now. Indeed it has become an important discourse, as family dynamics continue to change. In the past couple of decades, young economic migrants leaving their homes for other cities or countries in search of greener pastures, often keep their elderly loved ones in the care of other relations, paid domiciliary care or nursing homes. This has raised questions bordering on the quality of care and issues of abuse and neglect as it concerns their elderly loved ones.
Suffice it to say, the incidence of elder abuse in Nigeria is on the increase, although there seems to be no reliable data on this societal problem. The issue of elderly abuse continues to gain traction, especially with the advent of social media and the installation and use of monitoring equipments, like CCTV’s in private homes and elderly care facilities.
Abuse of older people comes in several ways, and these include:
Knowing the warning signs:
Recognizing the signs of abuse in the elderly is very key to preventing it and mitigating its effects through appropriate interventions. The different types of abuse have defining features associated with them.
Asides knowing the signs of abuse, it is also important for families, caregivers and service providers (e.g nursing care homes) to know what risk factors can predispose a senior to abuse, or increase their chances of being abused.
Families and caregivers should be well adjusted, with positive attitudes about aging, good coping strategies and social support. In addition, their mental, financial and emotional health is important, as a deficiency of these essential components can set the stage for elderly abuse.
Service providers, such as nursing care homes should be mindful of factors that can predispose the seniors in their care to abuse. These factors are multifaceted, revolving around operators (management) and staff. Meticulous hiring practices should be engaged at all times, to ensure adequate personnel, so that employees are not overworked, to prevent shoddy care, exhaustion and dissatisfaction. In addition, elderly care operators should guard against stressful working conditions for their personnel, high staff turnover rates and be wary of staff who act coldly or negatively towards the senior residents.
Preventing elder abuse may not always be possible at all times, but families and concerned adults can take proactive steps towards reducing the risk of abuse in the elderly, whether at home or in care facilities.
At home, abuse can stem from many reasons, and when the primary caregiver is stressed, overworked or untrustworthy, it makes abuse even more likely to happen. Therefore, it becomes imperative that families and friends should constantly reach out to both the senior and the caregiver. Families and friends can offer support in the following ways to reduce risk of elder abuse;
In an elderly care facility, families may not be able to monitor their elderly loved ones as closely as family caregivers, but they can still take steps to check abuse in such facilities. These steps include:
On their part, elderly care facilities can prevent elder abuse by:
(1) Installing quality monitoring systems.
(2) Creating policies that engender robust patient care and promote zero tolerance for elder abuse.
(3) Regular trainings for personnel on abuse and neglect issues in the elderly.
(4) Encouraging regular visits from social workers, volunteers and families.
In Nigeria, Rockgarden homes have been in the vanguard of elderly care services and a regular advocate against abuse and neglect in the elderly.
At Rockgarden homes, we pride ourselves as a home away from home for the elderly, and a trail blazer, when it comes to elderly care and support services. With our cutting edge elderly care services and support for families, Rockgarden homes, with its sister organization, Rockgarden Homecare Agency has carved a niche for itself for their unrivalled and unparalleled elderly care and support services. With absolutely no tolerance for elderly abuse in any form, the Rockgarden Homecare Agency has a painstaking recruitment process, where thorough background checks of potential staff are carried out. Employees also undergo regular trainings on elder abuse and neglect issues. These, in addition to quality monitoring systems such as CCTV’s and its very innovative Care Control mobile app, easily accessible to families, ensures that abuse and neglect are prevented from happening, as much as possible.
The present pandemic has caused a lot of panic and fear especially for those who have aged ones, knowing that they are at high risk of getting affected in this times.
It is not surprising that our phones keep ringing all day from people calling in requesting for our professional/expertise services for their aged ones and this is happening because they know;
CALL IN TODAY AND LET US GIVE YOUR AGED ONES THE FIRST-CLASS TREATMENT THEY DESERVE.
Tel: 234-816-717-6778
Many Nigerians find it difficult to cope with having to be at work early in the morning and having to take care of an elderly one. Taking care of an elderly person can be quite demanding and very tiring especially if the elderly person is dependent and needs a lot of help. This is the reason many employ an house help that will be fully available to take care of their elderly one when they are not around. We are looking at this topic because it is important we understand that a house help is different from a caregiver. You can decide to employ the services of the two if you so wish.
An house help is a person paid to perform the overall domestic chores such as extensive cleaning, laundry, ironing, cooking etc.
The main duties of a maid is to ensure that they complete all the tasks assigned, and that the cleanliness of the house is maintained. The maid does not necessarily focus their attention and energy on a particular person, but on the entire household as a whole.
Please note that house helps do not have the proper training or background to administer care towards a person in need of special care.
They may have gone through training to equip them with the right skills and techniques to ensure that the household can be cleaned and maintained in the most efficient way but do not have the specialized training on how to care for a person having dementia.
A Caregiver, on the other hand, is a person paid and has been trained and equipped with the skills to assist the care recipient with their Activities of Daily Living, which includes eating, bathing, getting dressed, continence, as well as moving around. They are trained
to know that they have to understand the elderly person and his needs and follow the care plan accordingly. They are trained to handle care recipients with special needs and difficult behaviors such as Alzheimers, parkinsons, dementia, mood swings, hallucinations just to mention a few.
The Caregivers are also able to provide care in the form of prompting to take medication (caregiver),checking and recording the vital signs, physical exercise, engaging with mind-stimulating activities such as playing games, listening to music, drawing and painting etc, and companionship.
Apart from that, Caregivers are also specifically trained to know how to handle a person, including the right techniques to carry a person without injuring them.
They are trained on how to maintain confidentiality, show respect,ensure that the dignity and privacy of the elderly one is maintained, respect the rights of the elderly, empathy and sensitivity to the needs of the elderly person as well. They are trained on what to do when their is an emergency. They can carry out cardio pulmonary rescusitation when necessary and knows the importance of daily proper documentation and recording. They are trained about bed side manners, knowing the nutritional needs of the elderly one based on the medical condition.
The Caregiver is primarily to focus their attention and energy on providing care to the person in need. The Caregiver’s role mainly revolves around this person,
ensuring that sufficient care is provided to ensure that the care recipient is able to function normally, and that their most immediate space is kept clean.
The key differences between a maid and a Caregiver are the skills they possess, as well as their overall role in terms of what is required of them.
House helps generally require no formal education or training, whereas a caregiver would have gone through a series of training to ensure that they are able to administer appropriate care to the care recipient.
People generally get confused between the role of a Caregiver with that of a househelp when it comes to housekeeping. The expectations have to be set right from the start so that no disappointment happens. The responsibility of the Caregiver, in relation to housekeeping, is to ensure that the care recipient’s belongings, as well as their most immediate environment are kept clean. Adding to that, the caregiver is to also ensure that the areas which are affected during their duty are also to be maintained.
Some of the things that can be expected of the Caregiver includes:
– Cooking for the care recipient, and cleaning up the kitchen/dining area after use
– Sweeping and mopping the room of which the care recipient spends the majority of their time in
– Doing the care recipient’s laundry
– Cleaning up after the care recipient in the case of any accident
– Changing of bed linen to ensure that the care recipient has a clean bed
– Accompany your elderly one to the hospital,bank and any other place he or she needs to visit
It is important for the care recipient or their immediate family members to discuss and clarify the expectations of the Caregiver when it comes to housekeeping duties.
Caregivers are not househelps/domestic workers, and should not be treated as such.
Knowing the difference between a maid and a Caregiver helps you to make the right choice in terms of what kind of assistance you need at home, ensuring that you get the best care for your family!
Rockgarden Homecare Agency provides trained, passionate, disciplined, trustworthy and hardwordking health care professionals for Elderly Care and Home Recovery.
Our team of professionals (caregivers/nurses) were carefully selected, trained for at least two weeks with hands on practical experience at our residential facility and equipped with the relevant skills which are required to provide care for you and your family members.
Once you call us, we will send you our online assessment form. Our medical team will review it and we will conduct an onsite assessment to sight your loved one and your home setting and come up with necessary recommendations and a care plan and will be able to assign the right caregiver with the skill set, stature and frame to meet the needs of your elderly one.
for example, a family member with dementia will be assigned with a caregiver or nurse who has been trained to handle people with dementia.
You can now get a professional caregiver to provide the best care for you and your family members.
Visit our website at www.rockgardenhomecareagency.com to find out more about our services and our pocket-friendly cost rates. We are the first-class domiciliary caregivers!
OR
Contact us today at +2348167176778 or +2348151451494(WhatsApp) to enquire and request for our online assessment form to be sent to you.
Aging is a normal part of human life. Though it is very normal, it is also very different in every individual and that is why it’s very important to understand the aging process.
Aging process depends greatly on a combination of these factors; genetic, state of health such as an underlying illness and environmental factors such as life experiences, available support systems, coping skills.
Knowing that every one has his or her own unique genetic makeup and environment and also understanding an individual’s state of health which interacts with each other, helps us to understand why the aging process can occur at such different times and rate in different people.
As aging progresses, most aged people become less active or physically impaired, degenerative changes takes place almost in all the systems such as brain, cardio vascular system, respiratory system musculo skeletal system exposing the elderly people to a greater degree of physical illnesses.
As a person ages, sensory functions such as hearing, vision, touch, taste, and smell deteriorate. Hearing and vision losses are often more upsetting, because they directly affect the person’s ability to perform day today activities, threaten the bodily safety, and distort communication and they develop dependency.
At this age they have very weak immune system which makes them fall sick more often. Most of them have probably lost their partners and are retired with little or no money to spend on medications, all of this often cause old people to feel lonely and depressed. Due to lack of adequate financial support they feel they are burden to their family members and sometimes don’t want to live any longer due to all these. Some common psychological problems found in old aged people are Mood disorders, Dementia, Memory loss etc.
Understanding this process is very important because it can help as a guide or pointer for you when dealing with an aged person thereby helping you to know when to get medical help or support for your aged one.
You do not need to go far in getting the neccessary help you need for them because Rockgarden Homecare Agency have skilled professionals to help you with that.
In a man’s life, physical activities have proven to be very beneficial and several studies have shown time and again that it is a very important part in a man’s wellbeing. It has shown to be very helpful in improving cardiovascular endurance, balance, muscle strength, improve quality of sleep, improve mental health and many others.
When you hear physical activities I know what comes to your mind is running, jumping, hitting the gym, carrying heavy dumbbells and you start to wonder how your aged mother, father, uncle or aunt will be able to do that without dropping dead.
Physical activities are structured to suit every individual no matter the age, sex, body type or health condition the person may have, so the good news is that your aged relatives have exercises that can be tailored perfectly for him or her.
Knowing that physical activities are beneficial to all including the aged ones, it would be unfair to leave them out of these health benefits because you think they have nothing to gain when they truly they have a lot to get from it.
Just the way you exercise consciously or unconsciously everyday, the elderly’s physical activity needs to be carried out deliberately because they are less active than they were before. At Rock garden home agency your relatives well being is our top priority and we have qualified professionals who are skilled at putting the elderly through graded physical activities that would suit their needs.
Do not deprive your aged relatives of a good and sound health at this last phase of their lives because of your numerous uncertainties, trust me they have a lot to gain from this.
As a Physiotherapist working with families taking care of old folks, I often get inundated with questions from such families about constipation in their elderly loved ones and how to relieve their symptoms. Many families complain about the considerable discomfort and distress their senior ones experience quite often, when they attempt to make a bowel movement. Constipation is also a source of ongoing stress and concern for families who are looking after their seniors.
Constipation is an issue that many seniors deal with quite frequently. The condition can affect their quality of life in general, making them irritable, avoid meals and exercise. Elderly folks and their families may also have a wrong assumption of what constipation means, as popular opinion suggests that not having a bowel movement daily means the person is constipated. This has led to wrong use of laxatives, creating a bigger problem by interfering with the natural process of emptying the bowels. In reality, folks don’t have to have a daily bowel movement to be considered normal. Constipation is defined as fewer than three bowel movements per week. What this means is that if the senior doesn’t have any bowel movement in three days, that’s too long as the stools may have become harder and more difficult to pass.
A poor diet low in fibre, inadequate fluids in the diet, physical inactivity, use of certain drugs to treat pre-existing medical conditions and poor bowel habits are some of the causes which can make it difficult for the elderly to poop. There is a psychological angle too, as many seniors are excessively concerned about their bowel movements and may have ‘imaginary constipation’.
Loss of interest in eating is quite common in single or widowed older people, causing over reliance on convenience foods, most of which are very low in fiber. In addition, loss of dentition may make it more difficult to eat regular meals and thus, many seniors resort to having soft, processed foods which are also low in fiber.
Stress and Urinary incontinence is quite common in the elderly too. As a result, many seniors take inadequate fluids to reduce frequency of urination. This has the effect of making them constipated as water and other fluids add bulk to stools and soften stools.
Quite often, many seniors are not getting enough exercise as a result of one condition or the other, which keeps them in bed for extended periods. This, in addition to the age related slowing or weakening of the digestive system can contribute to constipation.
Use of prescription drugs have also been implicated as one of the causal factors of constipation in the elderly. Some of these medications include antacids, opiates for pain, antidepressants, antihistamines, diuretics.
Anxiety over constipation is quite common in the elderly too. This has the effect on making older people to rely on laxatives. Over time, this becomes habitual and the natural bowel mechanism fails to work without recourse to these laxatives.
Passing fewer than three stools per week
Having lumpy or hard stools
Straining or trouble having a bowel movement
Few bowel movements
Feeling like bowels not totally emptied
Families taking care of their elderly ones should remove or greatly limit the amount of ‘constipating’ diets from the menu. These generally includes foods with low fibre content, such as dairy products, cereals with less than 1g of fibre per serving, e.g some cornflakes, rice crispies, puffed wheat, white rice, noodles and macaroni etc . It’s important to note that, on their own, these foods don’t cause constipation, but it’s likely to happen when coupled with physical inactivity, slowing down of the digestive system, prescription meds for other conditions and inadequate water intake common in the elderly.
Regularly give them foods like whole wheat bread, whole grains like brown rice, Ofada rice, oatmeal, corn, millet, beans, Adalu (Nigerian delicacy of beans mixed with corn)
They should be encouraged to regularly eat fruits, e.g apples, bananas, berries, watermelons with the outer covering, pears etc. Vegetables, such as carrots, okra, spinach, broccoli, bitter leaf etc. Nuts such as pistachios, walnuts, almonds, peanuts etc
Exercising regularly is great for overall health and helps to regulate the digestive system, particularly as it begins to slow down in the elderly. Encourage your seniors to engage in exercises and other sporting activities like leisure walks, bike riding, swimming when possible, playing indoor games like table tennis etc.
Help them to establish a bathroom routine. Having a daily routine, where your seniors’ makes an effort to at least visit the loo at same time everyday is a great idea. However, any other time the urge comes is fine as well.
Importantly too, encourage your seniors to drink water often, not just at meal times. Water helps with the digestion of food and prevents constipation by adding bulk and softening stools.
Families and caregivers looking after seniors should understand that constipation can be an intractable issue for the elderly. Having the right information about this problem, will make them approach the matter with more understanding and empathy, and provide the necessary support to help the seniors navigate through the challenges, which can impact positively on their quality of life.
The reasons are not far fetched and falls into one of these category of answers.
1. You forget that you have your health to care for as well during care giving and lose it all to caring for the other party. You have little or no time to sleep, rest, relax, bond or do your regular day to day activities. All these accumulated stress and mental pressure increases your chances of breaking down during or after caregiving.
2. You put a time bound to the other party’s recovery and put your all in making sure they get better during that stipulated period of time and get really disappointed or frustrated when recovery does not happen at that stated time. The thought of these puts so much pressure on you and makes you wonder if you are not doing your enough.
3. Most times the person being cared for gets aggressive that they are totally dependent and cannot do what they do on their own before. They tend to pour their aggression on you which makes you feel unappreciated and tensed up.
4. Also sometimes it might be because you are combining a whole lot of things together like personal work, family life and probably official work with caregiving which is making some areas of your life suffer.
It could be issues with your family or your boss is complaining at work and all these gets to you and makes you pour the aggression on the person been cared for.
5. Lastly, probably because you are not skilled in caregiving and so you are not doing the right things or probably not doing the right things the right way or at the right time. This can make you even lose confidence in your capability as a person not only in caring for your loved one but also in other areas of your life.
Knowing that a skilled person is in charge of caring for our loved ones takes a whole lot of stress and burden away and also gives us time to care for ourselves which also creates room for productivity physically, mentally, emotionally and even financially.
Rockgarden Homecare Agency has decided to solve all of these problems for you with ease and at the comfort of your home.
Families who have older loved ones should realize that with aging come physical and health challenges. These physical and health challenges put their senior ones at risk of falls. Falls can result in broken bones, head injuries, hip fractures and other serious injuries. Even when a major injury is not sustained, an older loved one can become terrified and anxious from a previous fall, which makes it difficult for them to stay active, and slip further down a downward spiral of other health complications.
It therefore goes without saying that, families and individuals who have aging parents, grandparents and relations should help them reduce their risk of falling, and support them to stay healthy and independent as long as possible.
The interesting thing about falls is that most can be prevented. It is just a matter of being very observant and knowing where to look. Some common factors that can lead to a fall include the following:
(1) Balance and Gait: Aging comes with musculoskeletal degenerative changes that comes with gradual loss of coordination, strength, flexibility and balance, which makes it easier to fall.
(2)Medications: Quite a number of seniors are on prescriptions and over the counter medications that have side effects, such as dizziness, dehydration and tiredness which may increase their risk of falling.
(3)Sensory challenges: Eye and ear disorders are quite common in the elderly and may increase their risk of falls.
(4)Environmental factors: As people age, they need to make adjustments to their homes to remove potential hazards that can result in falls. Modifications can be made to the furniture, in the kitchen, floors, bathrooms etc
(5)Health condition: A high percentage of older adults (more than 80%) are living with at least one chronic condition such as Stroke, Diabetes, Arthritis etc. These conditions can increase the risk of falling because they can result in inactivity, functional decline, pain, multiple medications and depression.
The following steps can be taken to help your seniors to reduce their risk of a fall:
(1) Schedule an appointment with a doctor: This will involve a comprehensive discussion of their current health status, challenges in managing their health, medications and compliance, side effects of medications. Evaluation of muscle strength, balance and gait (walking style) should be done as well. Find out about their last eye checkup, visual challenges, if they are wearing glasses, find out if it’s a current prescription and it’s addressing the visual challenges. Encourage the senior to speak openly with their health care provider about all of their concerns.
(2) Exercise, exercise, exercise!!!! Physical activity and exercises can help to address problems of functional decline, muscle weakness, balance and coordination. The doctor can make a referral to a physiotherapist, who will come up with a customized exercise program to help address the areas of needs. Exercises should begin with stretches and should include balance and strength exercises, core exercises, cardio and low impact exercises such as walking. These activities reduce the risk of falls by improving strength, balance, coordination and flexibility.
(3) Encourage senior ones to wear sensible shoes: Wearing appropriate footwear is an integral part of a fall-prevention plan. Floppy slippers, high heels, shoes with worn out soles etc increase the likelihood of a slip, stumble or fall. Consider wearing properly fitting sturdy shoes with soles that provide good traction or grip on the floor.
(4) Remove home hazards: A comprehensive check of the entire home environment for potential hazards which may increase the likelihood of falls should be looked at, to make the home safer. The flooring, furniture arrangement, kitchen and bathroom ergonomics etc should be carefully laid out.
(5) Appropriate lighting: Ensure the home is brightly lit to avoid tripping on objects that are hard to see. Lightening should be increased at the top and bottom of stairs. Night lamps should be placed at the bedroom, bathroom and hallways. Lamp in the bedroom should be within reach of the bed, when getting up in the middle of the night. Flashlights and torch lights should be kept in easy-to -find places in case of power outages.
(6) Assistive devices: The doctor, physiotherapist or occupational therapist may recommend using a cane, walking stick or a Zimmer frame to help your elderly loved ones to be steadier on their feet. Other assistive devices can be beneficial too, such as raised toilet seats, grab bars in the bathroom, nonslip mats, and sturdy plastic seat for the shower/tub including a hand held shower nozzle for bathing while sitting.
It is important for families to involve health care providers and relevant professionals, to help them come up with realistic fall-prevention strategies. For more ideas on how to prevent falls in the home and make it safer for our elderly loved ones, please contact Rockgarden Homecare Agency.