Keeping Mom Safe at Home
“Mom has lived alone for several years now since Dad died, but she is getting older and we have noticed that things are not getting done like they used to. What do we need to do? How can we keep her safe if we are not there all the time?”
At SENIOR LIFE MANAGEMENT, this is a common discussion we have with our clients: your elderly parent (mom or dad or even an elderly relative) lives alone and you have noticed that they may not be doing as well as they used to. What should you do?
Here is a starting point of items to think about:
o You may have to check on mom or dad more often to make sure things are okay:
o Is the house orderly?
o Is garbage being thrown away?
o Is the fridge being cleaned out often enough? You do not want their refrigerator to be an ongoing chemistry project with items in various states of decay.
o Is mom (or dad) eating enough and drinking enough water? This is a common problem with elderly people who live alone.
o Is mom getting out at all or are they just sitting in the house all the time?
o Is mom still driving? Are they well enough to be driving?
o Are they taking their medication regularly?
You also may need to walk around and make sure the house is safe:
o Can mom get around and be mobile in the entire house?
o Is anything on the floor that could cause tripping?
o Are rugs tacked down so they are not a tripping hazard?
o Is the carpet bunching up making for a trip hazard?
o Are the concrete steps and sidewalk heaving, making them a fall hazard?
o Are there enough grab bars around?
o Is the shower working? Is it easy for Mom to get into or is the step into the shower too difficult?
o Are the tubs and sinks draining correctly?
Do you need to hire help?
o Maybe you need someone to hire someone to do well checks. Having someone checking in on mom weekly or more often can give you some peace of mind.
o Maybe you need to hire cleaning services weekly or bi-weekly to make sure mom and dad’s house stays clean.
o Maybe you need to hire some handyman services – things like adding grab bars in the bathrooms or tacking down carpets that are tripping hazards.
o What about meals? You may need to investigate something like Meals on Wheels in your community. Nutritious meals are very important as you age.
Have they seen a doctor recently?
o When was the last time they had a physical? Working closely with health care professionals makes sure that more than one person knows what health issues to watch out for. This may mean that you need to go to the doctor appointments with your mom or dad. You can hear directly what the doctors have to say. Sometimes our parents do not share the entire picture of their healthcare needs with their children.
Some seasonal items to think about:
o Raking up the leaves.
o Cleaning out the gutters.
o Snow removal.
o Ice removal.
These are just a few things to start thinking about if you are helping your elderly parent or relative stay in their house.
If this is all overwhelming to you, here is how SENIOR LIFE MANAGEMENT can help you:
Senior Life Management can help you navigate some of these upcoming, inevitable changes. For example:
o We can help you get started. We can be a starting point to help you PLAN what needs to be done, from start to finish.
o We can also provide handyman services and senior home repair to get your mom’s home ready to age in place or get their home ready to sell – whatever you envision for your parent’s future.
o A home maintenance plan is so important to keep ahead of home repairs that could cause extra danger, and Senior Life Management can help with that.
o We also offer welfare checks if you need them.
And, if it is time to downsize and start going through your treasures, Sort Toss Pack, our moving company, can help you organize, downsize, or pack and move. And if you use this service, you can consign your items to sell in our retail store, Odds & Ends Again.
And finally, our Senior Life Management real estate services company can also help sell your house and help you find more suitable living arrangements, if needed. They can also do a complete home buyout if that is what you wish to do.
Call us today to start a conversation (952-431-1095) or check out our website, SeniorLifeManagement.net.
Being proactive can save you some stress later and having a plan in place can give you peace of mind. The goal is to keep Mom (or Dad) safe.
We want to help make your senior life manageable and as stress-free as possible.
Senior Life Management