Making Your Home Safe For Your Elderly Parent

When your aging parent moves into your house with you and your family, it might not occur to you that you need to make any changes to your home. However, one in three older people (over 65) fall down per year, and some of them suffer major injury. To avoid this and keep your parent safe inside your house, use the tips below.

Keep a Hall Light On During the Night

You might like to keep the hallway dark after everyone has gone to bed, but it is important that you are aware that a dark hallway in the middle of the night can be an uncomfortable place for an elderly person. If your parent has to use the bathroom during the night, it can be hard for them to see or feel for the light switch. If they try to navigate the hallway without turning on the light, they may bump into the wall or the desk and injure themselves or fall down.

To avoid this problem, simply leave a light on throughout the night so that the hallway can remain as safe as possible.

Put Up Grab Bars

The bathroom can be a dangerous place for anyone, but for elderly people it can be even harder to get around without slipping and hurting themselves. While you may be using non-slip mats for them when they get out of the shower or bathtub, you may overlook the fact that it can be difficult to sit down and get up from your toilet.

To make this an easier activity for your parent, purchase and install grab bars on one or both sides of the walls near your toilet. By providing something for them to hold on to when they need to use the the toilet, they can more easily move from one position to another.

Place Cords Out of Sight

Electrical cords for the kids' video game systems and other electronic devices might be a common sight for you. However, when your elderly parent moves from place to place in your home, keep in mind that they may not see electrical cords and might in fact trip over them. Do your best to keep the cords out of the way and along the walls of the house.

With the tips in this article, you can take some steps to make your house more comfortable for your elderly parent. If you want more information about what you can do, consult an in-home care agency like Neighbors Home Care Services. They can help you make your home safer and help you with any care needs as well.