Safety should always be a priority when living with a senior. If you’re planning on moving an elderly loved one to live with you, just having them in your home isn’t always enough – you need to really consider the comfort and safety of older adults to make them feel at home. Keep these tips in mind when preparing your home to move in an older adult:

1. Install a lower peephole – particularly for seniors that live alone, a peephole is an important security measure. Osteoporosis can cause seniors to lose height, and causing them to strain to see out of a peephole is a danger

2. Reduce glare in the home – for the comfort of seniors, install blinds on the windows that can be adjusted depending upon the amount of light or glare coming into the home

3. Prevent falls with safety measures – put railings on stairs and in the bathroom, and to avoid slips remove area rugs

4. Control water temperatures of the faucets – seniors can scald themselves if they find it challenging to control water

5. Change door handles – seniors with arthritis often have trouble manipulating doorknobs; accommodate them by installing level handles or other assistive devices

6. Try to control clutter – whether a senior is moving in, or you’re trying to make their home a little safer, finding storage for all the extra items that are not regularly used is important to reduce clutter and increase safety

Via: Guide for  Boomers and Seniors who Live with Them

Home Care Houston Southeast serving elders in the Bay Area; Clear Lake, Webster, Pasadena, League City, & Pearland - call (281) 484-0200.

Home Care Houston South Central serving seniors in Meyerland, Bellaire, Missouri City, Sugar Land, & Stafford - call 713-774-2215.

Home Care Houston Southwest serving aging adults in Katy, Richmond, Rosenberg, Fushear, Sugar Land, Stafford, Memorial City & Galleria areas - call 832 379-4700.

I pride myself on being an organized and disciplined person, but when my dad had a fall in his home and spent some time at a Houston hospital, then a rehabilitation facility, that all fell apart. I had thought that in a crisis situation, I would be able to take control and take care of all of his needs to ensure that he was comfortable and safe when he came home from the hospital, but when the day came for his release, I was nowhere near ready. The thought hadn’t even entered my mind that there were things I’d need to do, until the day before his release when a doctor asked me if arrangements had been made to help my dad out at home, and suddenly I realized I hadn’t done a thing. In panic mode, not wanting my dad to return to a disorganized house that would compromise his safety and his recovery, I asked the doctor if there was anyone to help. He recommended me to a Houston senior home care agency that would be able to make all the arrangements for my dad.

The morning my dad was set to return from the hospital, a caregiver had come into his home, restocked his fridge and pantry, and tidied up all of the dirty dishes and other messes that had been left behind. When I walked in with my dad, I was so impressed at how quickly the arrangements had been made, so all dad and I needed to focus on was his recovery!

Home Care Houston Southeast serving elders in the Bay Area; Clear Lake, Webster, Pasadena, League City, & Pearland - call (281) 484-0200.

Home Care Houston South Central serving seniors in Meyerland, Bellaire, Missouri City, Sugar Land, & Stafford - call 713-774-2215.

Home Care Houston Southwest serving aging adults in Katy, Richmond, Rosenberg, Fushear, Sugar Land, Stafford, Memorial City & Galleria areas - call 832 379-4700.

Home Care Houston Northwest serving older adults in Humble, Katy, Spring, Cypress, and Tomball - call 281-440-5160.

If you come from a close family and have maintained a healthy relationship with your adult siblings in Houston you may believe that nothing can break your relationship. However, that could all change when it comes time to start making decisions about the senior care of your aging parents. More often than not, when families come together to start discussing senior care, family conflict ensues which can create tension and tear the family apart, which also puts a great strain on the parent who may feel responsible even though they already have enough stresses to deal with.

Rather than allowing family fighting to continue, families can make family senior care meetings more amicable and productive with the help of a elder mediator, who can ensure that discussions take place without resulting in blows. As experts in senior care as well as communication, Houston seniors and their families will find that elder mediators can not only keep discussions on track, they can also provide invaluable resources; connecting seniors and their families with senior services that can improve the lives of all involved. With the help of an elder mediator, the role of each family member can be ironed out and even documented in writing to prevent the onset of future conflict.

Don’t let your family fight over senior care decisions; hire an elder mediator when it’s time to start talking about senior care to make sure your relationships survive, both for the sake of you and your siblings, and for the well-being of your elderly parent.

Sources:

1. Plan for Care
2. Mayo Clinic

Home Care Houston Southeast serving elders in the Bay Area; Clear Lake, Webster, Pasadena, League City, & Pearland - call (281) 484-0200.

Home Care Houston South Central serving seniors in Meyerland, Bellaire, Missouri City, Sugar Land, & Stafford - call 713-774-2215.

Home Care Houston Southwest serving aging adults in Katy, Richmond, Rosenberg, Fushear, Sugar Land, Stafford, Memorial City & Galleria areas - call 832 379-4700.

Home Care Houston Northwest serving older adults in Humble, Katy, Spring, Cypress, and Tomball - call 281-440-5160.

For seniors in Houston, receiving a geriatric assessment is a key component in the elder care process, particularly for those who might be exhibiting signs of dementia. Often a family physician refers a senior who they feel needs to receive a geriatric assessment, however, families who are concerned about signs being exhibited by an aging parent or other relative can request that their senior see a GCM to receive a geriatric assessment.

A geriatric care assessment does focus on the risk of dementia, but takes a look at a Houston senior’s overall health; including physical, mental and psycho-social factors and addresses issues that a senior may have today or in the future with regards to independent living. By assessing abilities for Activities of Daily Living such as dressing, bathing, meal preparation, and managing medications, a geriatric care assessment can help families make decisions to ensure their seniors remain safe and healthy, even if it means hiring an in-home caregiver from agencies like Home Instead.

Geriatric assessments can take place at hospitals, nursing homes, outpatient clinics, at a physician’s office or a patient’s home. Geriatric Care Managers can provide additional assistance to seniors and their families with the senior care decision making process and can be a great resource.

If you are concerned about the well-being of an aging loved one in Houston, talk to their physician about receiving a geriatric assessment!

Sources:
1.    HelpGuide
2.    Southwestern Medical Center

Home Care Houston Southeast serving elders in the Bay Area; Clear Lake, Webster, Pasadena, League City, & Pearland - call (281) 484-0200.

Home Care Houston South Central serving seniors in Meyerland, Bellaire, Missouri City, Sugar Land, & Stafford - call 713-774-2215.

Home Care Houston Southwest serving aging adults in Katy, Richmond, Rosenberg, Fushear, Sugar Land, Stafford, Memorial City & Galleria areas - call 832 379-4700.

Home Care Houston Northwest serving older adults in Humble, Katy, Spring, Cypress, and Tomball - call 281-440-5160.

As a Houston family caregiver, one of the best ways to prepare for the safety and comfort of your aging family member is to think about caregiving proactively. Many in-home accidents involving seniors in Houston occur when families and seniors exercise reactive versus proactive thinking. Instead of reacting to potential hazards after accidents have already happened, caregivers need to think proactively and anticipate potential dangers to seniors that are present in their home, by installing safety equipment, removing tripping hazards, and evaluating the day-to-day tasks that are difficult for a senior independently.

However, proactive thinking by a caregiver doesn’t have to stop at home safety; even before your elderly family member reaches a stage where home care, family caregiving or residence in a long-term care home is needed, family members can be proactive and begin to discuss the senior’s wishes with regards to care assistance. When involved with the care decisions of an elderly parent, you can learn what role they would like you to play in a crisis and you can assist them in preparing the necessary legal paperwork required for making senior medical decisions. As family caregivers and concerned family members, it is our job to help plan for our seniors’ futures; by arming ourselves with knowledge and thinking proactively, we can ensure that they receive quality caring throughout their elder years.

Sources:
1. StrengthforCaring.com

2. Answers4Families.com

3. AARP: (Olympia Dukakis)

Home Care Houston Southeast serving elders in the Bay Area; Clear Lake, Webster, Pasadena, League City, & Pearland - call (281) 484-0200.

Home Care Houston South Central serving seniors in Meyerland, Bellaire, Missouri City, Sugar Land, & Stafford - call 713-774-2215.

Home Care Houston Southwest serving aging adults in Katy, Richmond, Rosenberg, Fushear, Sugar Land, Stafford, Memorial City & Galleria areas - call 832 379-4700.

Home Care Houston Northwest serving older adults in Humble, Katy, Spring, Baytown, and Tomball - call 281-440-5160.

Home Care Houston Southeast serving elders in the Bay Area; Clear Lake, Webster, Pasadena, League City, & Pearland - call (281) 484-0200.  

Home Care Houston South Central serving seniors in Meyerland, Bellaire, Missouri City, Sugar Land, & Stafford - call 713-774-2215. 

Home Care Houston Southwest serving aging adults in Katy, Richmond, Rosenberg, Fushear, Memorial City & Galleria areas - call 832 379-4700.

Passing legislation that requires seniors do undergo on-road testing in order to renew their licenses would not be easy to implement. In Ventura County, California, a lawyer representing a client in a wrongful death suit, caused by an elderly driver is attempting to impose a legislation that requires drivers over 65 to complete rigorous testing every 10 years and is being met with extreme opposition. While he has compiled a sound case and is approaching legislators, senior care organizations, like the AARP believes this would create a stigma that age naturally results in poor driving; an assumption that is not true for every case. If the region’s legislators do not support the lawyer’s suggestions, he plans on completing a public poll to try and sway them; hoping that the population overall will see the benefit it could bring to the safety of our roads.

Unless each state’s government begins to agree to some big changes, imposing limitations upon elderly driving lies with families looking to ensure the safety of their elder members. While it’s important to allow seniors to maintain their independence behind the wheel, families should watch out for signs that it’s time to encourage seniors to give up their keys.

Sources: http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2007/dec/16/behind-the-wheel-exams-sought-for-drivers-65-and/
http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~content=a714006952~db=all
http://www.wpxi.com/news/13317389/detail.html
http://www.helpguide.org/elder/senior_citizen_driving.htm

Home Care Houston Southeast serving elders in the Bay Area; Clear Lake, Webster, Pasadena, League City, & Pearland - call (281) 484-0200.  

Home Care Houston South Central serving seniors in Meyerland, Bellaire, Missouri City, Sugarland, & Stafford - call 713-774-2215. 

Home Care Houston Southwest serving aging adults in Katy, Richmond, Rosenberg, Fushear, Memorial City & Galleria areas - call 832 379-4700.

To encourage their safety behind the wheel of a car, senior drivers need to consider factors that take place both on and off the road. Overall health can have a great impact upon a senior’s ability to safely operate a vehicle, and since aging causes some decline in hearing, eyesight and reflexes, it’s important that older adults receive regular checkups by a doctor as well as frequent eyesight and hearing examinations.

Anytime new eyeglasses are prescribed, the adjustment period can cause changes in vision and occasional disorientation; so until the elderly have become fully adjusted to their new prescription, they should hang up their keys. It’s also crucial that they understand the affects of any medications that they take regularly, both by reading what it says on the bottle and understanding how taking it affects them. A senior should never drive when their prescription states that it’s “not safe to operate heavy machinery” or “it’s unsafe to drive a vehicle”; however, just because these warnings are not present, doesn’t mean that a senior shouldn’t take the time to evaluate how the drug impacts their perceptions on the road.

It is highly recommended you drive with a senior once a month for driving observation and assurance that they have maintained safe driving practices. If unsafe driving is detected, contact your local DMV office to discuss driving privileges.

If you feel it is unsafe for your loved one to be driving, please contact your local Home Instead Senior Care office at the number listed above.

Sources: http://www.safety-council.org/info/seniors/driving.htm http://www.americangeriatrics.org/education/forum/driving.shtml</a