Putting Elder Care at the Top of Your New Year’s Resolutions List
Happy New Year everyone! On behalf of everyone at Forward Day, we would like to wish you a very happy, healthy, and prosperous 2021. We imagine you join us in being hopeful that this year will see the end of the pandemic.
With health and safety at the forefront of our minds, it’s important to ensure that all of our older family members are made priorities. Just in case you haven’t completed your New Year’s Resolutions list, we would like to suggest putting elder care at the top of it.
Work to Remove All Tripping Hazards
It’s understandable if the senior in your home contends with balance issues. As we age, most of us experience diminished strength and balance. To significantly minimize the chances of your elderly loved one taking a spill in your home, put efforts into eliminating all tripping hazards. We’re talking about tucking away or removing all cords and wires, removing throw rugs, and ensuring all spills are immediately wiped up.
MaryAnn Edelman and Carmel T. Ficorelli are associate professors of nursing at Kingsborough Community College in Brooklyn, New York. “About one of every three older adults who live in the community falls once every year,” they inform us on behalf of Nursing 2021, “Falls are the primary cause of injury-related deaths in this population, and many of these deaths occur after months of medical care and treatment.”
Manage Medication Effectively
Seniors and prescription medicine generally go hand in hand. If you live with elderly loved ones, you’re probably well aware of the different medications they are required to take to manage their health conditions. It’s important to be mindful, however, that your elderly loved ones may not be so mindful about their meds themselves. Be sure to get on top of their required medications, be knowledgeable about their correct dosages, and ensure they are taken in timely fashions.
“Consult with your doctor or a healthcare professional on the best way to keep track of your medications, especially ones that are out of date,” recommends Lena Borrelli on MyMove.com, “Sheryl Maher, with Guardian Medical Monitoring, advises you to ‘discard old prescriptions immediately, so there is no mistake on dosing’.”
Provide Easy Seating
Does each room in your home have a spot where one can sit down and rest? Are there comfortable, cushioned seats throughout the home? Can your elderly loved one be assured that if he/she wishes to take a seat in the kitchen, the living room, or the dining room, his/her chair won’t create discomfort?
“Make the home senior-friendly by adding accessible seating, like a bench near the front door for putting on shoes,” recommends Claire Samuels on APlaceForMom.com, “Kitchen and shower stools make it easier for seniors to perform activities of daily living, like cooking and bathing independently.”
At Forward Day, we’re proud of the fact that our Shower Bay portable showers offer easy seating for wheelchair users when showering. Shower Bay is a safe and portable shower that provides a true shower experience without dangerous wet-environment transfers or expensive home renovations.
Shower Bay’s unique design allows for quick assembly in any room of the home. Just snap the unit together, connect to a standard faucet, turn on the pump and you’re ready to enjoy a relaxing shower! To learn more, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at 1-877-593-4461. You may also email us at info@showerbay.com.
