Many young children of elderly parents tend to become caregivers to their ageing parents. They are also, at times, willing to take on the responsibility of that care. Even with the closest loved ones becoming caregivers, there is always the need to get vetting and validation from health experts and those professionally qualified for the job. Invariably, when there is a senior citizen, elderly person, or a disabled person at home, it becomes vital for the caregiver to take the extra effort and ensure that the daily needs of such persons are well taken care of.
It is a very normal phenomenon that ageing brings a natural decline in physical and mental abilities, making it essential for others who are caregivers to ensure that the elderly at home are comfortable and at ease. For a few, even that one step becomes a difficult major obstacle. This makes the elderly person dependent on mobility and accessibility, especially when moving around the home.
How To Help The Elderly Relative?
The ageing, elderly relative who cannot move freely will always need to hold onto something solid for support and guidance as they walk around the home. This is one of the main reasons why installing handrails at crucial locations in hallways, passageways and corridors help. Similarly, handholds or grab bars fitted in the bathroom near the shower, tub or toilet also become vital support systems for the elderly and disabled persons.
Another necessary facilitation for the elderly at home is having seats at a comfortable height. This helps them to rest while moving around. Many use wheelchairs and walkers for moving around. At home, there could be many places that may not be conducive for wheelchair access. In such cases, it becomes necessary to make some structural or design changes in the home. This could include clearing the passageways of any barriers, widening the pass-throughs, and removing specific under-the-counter cabinets, especially in the kitchen, so that the wheelchair gets under the counters. If this is not possible, then there are some specialized over chair tables that are a great help to the elderly and disabled people.
If your elderly parent or relative uses a walker, rearranging the furniture and fixtures in the home (to avoid any clash or disturbance or blockage while walking) would help. In other words, the passageways also need to be cleared and made barrier-free for ease of mobility. In many cases, just a few minor adjustments are all that is required. At other times, there could be a few significant modifications implemented. It is all about the adaptations and adjustments being made at home to ensure that the general environment, especially from the point-of-view of the elderly, is safe for movement and accessibility.
Few elderly-friendly products designed to make their lives easier are:
Fittings In The Bathroom And Toilet
For the elderly, physically disabled people, and individuals with mobility issues, visiting the bathroom or toilet can become quite traumatic. They need extra support while taking a shower. Just a handrail or grab bar to hold onto while getting up or while using the toilet (because of knee problems) can be a great help. There are a wide range of bathroom and toilet support products specifically designed to help the elderly so that they can continue with their daily lives comfortably.
Aids For The Bedroom
Bedrooms are considered to be the comfort zones for all. Same with the elderly. Even though bedrooms are primarily used for sleeping, this is where most elderly people spend the maximum of their time when at home. Only when they feel like moving around, they visit the living room or go to some other room in the house. It is therefore essential that this space gets treated with importance, becomes well organized, and gets equipped with the most critical furniture and accessories specifically for the elderly and disabled. These aids could be backrests on beds, side rails fitted to the beds, steps for getting into and out of bed, an orthopaedic mattress, a proper pillow, and an appropriately elevated footrest.
Mobility Support
There are plenty of mobility aids for the elderly and disabled. Among these are the walkers, rollators, simple canes, walking sticks, and wheelchairs. The options depend on the type of mobility and physical ability of the elderly person. This too varies from person to person. A person with a lower-body disability would require something completely different from someone who just needs a little support while walking.