We write a lot about home safety for seniors here and on our EasyLiving blog. We share checklists that you can use to assess your aging parent’s well-being at home, as well as fall prevention checklists and an array of tips. However, we find that adult children still miss some important considerations when assessing senior home safety. These are often the very important factors that our Care Managers point out when doing a Comprehensive Home Safety Assessment.

Today, we’ll share some of this insight from our experts, on commonly overlooked areas. Don’t miss important warning signs! Contact our team for a full, expert evaluation and recommendations!

1. Are there guns in the home? Is it safe for them to be there, or are additional safety measures needed?
2. Are there other hazardous materials or tools? Is my parent likely to take on potentially dangerous tasks, such as trimming trees, doing roof repairs or attic work in the heat?
3. Is my parent isolated? Are there signs of loneliness and depression?
4. How well can my parent handle tasks requiring complex thinking? Someone with early stage dementia and minor memory loss may be able to function relatively well, especially if the environment is set up in the right way. However, tasks that require higher level executive function (banking, financial transactions, decision making) may cause trouble and leave your parent vulnerable to exploitation or mounting problems.
5. What happens if disaster strikes? Everything might be okay under normal circumstances, but can my parent handle a hurricane or other natural disaster? What if the power or water is out at my parent’s home for a few days? Consider smaller, personal “disasters” as well. Dad is a great caregiver for Mom, but what would he do if she fell? How would Mom handle a pipe breaking in the home or manage a major repair? How well would they do if a serious illness struck?
6. Are there subtle problems building up? What is my parent eating on a day-to-day basis? How accurately is Mom taking her medications? Without a trained eye, it can be easy to miss small problems that can lead to other issues. Aging parents tend to “pull it together” for adult children too, so what you’re seeing may be the best possible scenario.

We’re here to help! Call us at 727-447-5845.