While assisted living centers for seniors are helpful and give quality care, some people prefer to stay in their homes and take care of themselves there for as long as they can.
It can be dangerous for seniors to live alone as they are more prone to falls and scammers. If you are a senior living at home, here is a list of 7 tips to help keep you safe and to make life a little easier.
Have Prescriptions Delivered
It’s important to always have your medication on hand. Some people even keep an extra stock of their prescription in case it runs out before they can get a refill.
Try using a reminder system to keep your prescription from running out, or use a pharmacy delivery service.
Not every pharmacy offers this, and it may cost a little extra, but it also comes with the peace of mind that your prescription will be delivered on time and you won’t need to make time to go to the pharmacy yourself.
Use a Security System
If you are going to stay at home, you must be safe there. It will also help your family feel less nervous about you being alone. Consider installing a security system to help you keep an eye on your home and anything suspicious.
Using a peephole and motion-activated lights will also help give your home a little extra protection. You should also be sure to lock doors and windows to keep any uninvited guests from getting into your home.
Home Visits
While you should still go out and remain active, it can be nice to have people come to your home, especially for appointments like meeting with a physical therapist.
Home physical therapy can help you remain strong to prevent any falls or other accidents. If you have suffered an injury, your physical therapist can help you get back on track. Talk to your specialists to see if they offer home visits.
Alert Systems
Alert systems are very helpful for seniors and they help put you and your family at ease in case there is ever an emergency. If you fall or hurt yourself somehow, you can press a button on a medical alert bracelet or necklace and help will come.
If you live alone, this can help reassure your family that you will be alright if something ever goes wrong.
Bathroom Safety
Many falls happen in the bathroom because of water and slick surfaces. Installing bars next to the toilet and in the shower can help keep you stabilized and safer. You could also use nonslip mats in the bathroom to keep yourself from slipping on any puddles.
Easy-To-Reach
Another common reason seniors fall is from trying to reach something on a high shelf. Because of this, you should avoid storing anything above the height of the top of your head.
Avoid using ladders or step stools and instead, keep everything where you can safely reach it. Ask a friend or family member to help you reorganize things if you need to.
Have Information Ready
In case of an emergency, you should always have your information handy. For example, if you get hurt in public, you should have your medical history, blood type, and emergency contact information in your wallet. You should also have this information at home, maybe next to your phone.
As a senior, you can live at home and still be safe. Heeding the advice of this list will help you be safe and at ease.
