EasyLiving offers regular articles and reviews of some of the different home health products designed to help keep seniors safe at home. For an overview, check out our articles Home Health Products: Aging in Place Part 1 and Part 2.
Here are some common questions about senior safety and home healthcare products designed to assist:
What is the most important home health product I can get to stay safe at home? This is probably not a one-size fits all answer, which is why we recommend a home safety evaluation or geriatric assessment from one of our care managers. However, one of the most basic, cost-effective and useful tools for seniors who live alone is the Personal Emergency Response System.
These “fall buttons” (forever immortalized in the commercial “Help! I’ve fallen and I can’t get up.”) help ensure access to assistance is close at hand. In the world of mobile phones and cordless phones, some seniors may consider these redundant, but the concept is different. The buttons are monitored by a call center (like an alarm system) so you just push one button. The call center has information about who to contact (i.e. your neighbor, adult children) but can, of course, also contact emergency services when necessary. However, it also helps to avoid unnecessary 911 calls. For example, you are feeling “woozy” and you’re afraid you might fall if you get up. You push your button, they are able to get your neighbor on the phone, who comes over to check on you, makes sure you are okay and assists with calling your doctor about the concern.
Can home care technology and home health products replace the need for humans to help me? No, we don’t believe technology will ever replace the human touch and value of home caregivers. What technology does is work in conjunction with your caregivers to better enable you to stay safe with a tailored approach to meet your needs. For example, we have had some clients who get a home monitoring system which has helped them stay safe overnight, in between the shifts when they had hired caregivers or adult children there to help.
Home caregivers provide personalized care and can help with various duties around the house, from physical assistance to housekeeping and errands. A home caregiver also provides companionship and can cater to the way you like to have things done.
Are there home care products to make my home more safe without total remodeling? Yes, there are many products and small home modifications that can be done to make a home more “senior friendly” (also known as “aging in place”). Grab bars in the bathroom are one example of this. Concentrate on safety in the bathroom and kitchen, two areas where easy changes can make a big difference. Visit a local durable medical equipment or home health products store to get an idea of products that might help, such as shower chairs. Better lighting, removing throw rugs and a general home safety review can significantly decrease the risk of accidents.
Call us today at 727-448-0900 for more help with home caregivers in Florida/Pinellas County or to answer your questions about home care products or:
