If your parents are getting up there in age, then it might be prudent to make some changes to their home and living situation. Elderly parents, especially if they have health problems, would benefit from a variety of improvements. Some of these changes are minor electronic devices; others are structural changes to the home. Here is an overview of the different improvements you can make.
Stair Lifts
If your parents live in a multi-floor home, and if they have difficulty walking, then it might be time to get a stair lift. If they choose to not sell their home and move into a senior living community, then you need to deal with the problem of their two-story home. You don't want them falling down a flight of stairs. So, the solution is to install a stair lift. These are mechanical devices that are attached to the stairs. The lift has a seat with a motor. The person sits on the seat and activates a motor that brings them up or down the stairs on a rail.
Automatic Medication Dispenser
This is a minor thing, but it can be a lifesaver. It is likely that your parent is taking a bunch of different medications. It is important to not mix these up. It's not wise to leave the pills in their respective containers and rely on your parent to take them out each day. They might get confused and take too many, or none at all. An automatic pill dispenser can be filled once a week and it will open each day for your parent. You, or a health aid, could fill the container each week.
A Wearable Personal Response System
These are devices that your parent will wear around their neck, like a pendant. If they fall, or become locked out of their home, they can press a button and help will arrive.
A Home Monitoring System
A home monitoring system is a step up from a personal response system. Unlike a personal response system, the home monitoring system does not require your parent to signal for help. A home monitoring system has sensors placed around the house. Your parents' movements are monitored. If something unusual occurs, such as them entering the bathroom and not leaving for over an hour, an alert will be issued.
Walk In Bathtub
Getting in and out of a tub can be very dangerous. Your parent could trip and fall. This could be a potentially fatal accident. The solution is to get a walk in tub. The old tub would be replaced with a new, fiberglass model that doesn't require them to step over a ledge. The walk in tub has very high sides. You open a door, then sit down on a seat, then shut the door. You then turn the water on and fill the tub. If you parent only has a shower, then they could have it retrofitted to be a walk in tub.
In any event, this is the most important structural change you can do to the home to make it safe for an elderly person. For more information, see a website such as http://www.twincitystairlifts.com.
Share16 September 2015
After watching my mother navigate treatment for breast cancer in my early teens, I knew pretty much what to expect from my dad's diagnosis with prostate cancer. What I didn't know was how different chemotherapy and radiation can affect different people. My mother became very ill while my dad seemed to weather the treatments with few ill effects. I spent a long time researching the differences in treatments, types of chemotherapy, and how each one can react differently with the body. I created this blog to help others understand the same things, because I knew I couldn't be the only one unfamiliar with it. I hope it helps you if someone you love is facing treatment for any type of cancer.