Aging at home is a modern approach to eldercare that enables the elderly to stay in their own home as they age, rather than being relocated to a nursing home or an assisted living facility. To help support aging in place, there are a number of tools available to help our aging loved ones to maintain their independence and self-sufficiency. These tools have been designed to help compensate for any limitations they may have.
Hearing tools
Our aging loved ones commonly experience varying degrees of hearing loss. To help support them in aging in place and managing hearing challenges, there is a helping range of solutions available. These include vibrating watches to remind them of medication schedules, hearing devices that help amplify sounds, and visual alerts for any of their telephones or fire alarms.
Vision Tools
As our loved ones age, deteriorating eyesight can impact their indepence. While glasses may not always be sufficient. They can also use a magnifying glass, large print materials and magnifying screens/software to help with reading. Additionally, by improving the lighting in their home can make a dramatic difference.
Safety Tools
To help your parents age in their home, there are many steps you can take. One , by making some modifications to their home to help reduce the risk of slipping or falling. This can include replacing their tub to be a walk-in shower, adding railing in key areas in the home and ensuring the rugs and stairs are slip-proof. If your parents have a multi level home, you may want to consider consolidating their living space to one level, by having their bedroom near the kitchen and bathroom. Lastly, if you have the means, have an elevator or chair lift installed and can help provide safe access between floors.
If your parents or loved ones are starting to show early signs of dementia or forgetting tasks more frequently, there are automated pill boxes available that have built-in timers that can help to remind them when it is time to take their medication. Also by installing a programmable thermostat can help ensure that your parents do not have to remember to adjust the temperature according to the weather. For more added peace of mind, consider installing a sensor monitoring system that will respect privacy but allows you to keep track of your parent’s activities and that will allow you to receive notifications if any issues arise. These solutions can greatly assist in providing care and support for your parents or grandparents.
Living independently outside of a nursing home or Long Term Care facility is a common goal for our aging parents. With the assistance of an in-home care provider like Amy’s Helping Hands and the use of tools and technology, most aging parents can successfully remain in their home. For more information please visit our website at amyshelpinghands.ca or call us at 519-915-4370 to book your home assessment.
