How To Protect Elderly Relatives As They Age

As they age, elderly relatives can become more in need of our protection. Fortunately, there are many things we can do to make sure they stay safe. Here are a few tips on how to protect elderly relatives. 

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Choose the best care home 

One of the best ways to protect our loved ones as they age is to make sure they have the right level of care to meet their needs. If your relative is struggling with a more serious medical problem this may mean finding a good care home for them to live in. 

Of course, finding the right home can be easier said than done as there are so many to choose from. There are also a whole range of factors to consider when picking one including location, cost, size, and facilities. Will their room have a lift chair? Standard lift chairs are also called recliner lift chairs and can be used to help your loved one safely be raised from a seated to a standing position.

However, no matter what else you look into when considering a nursing home for your relatives, you must check to see whether any former patients have needed to use a nursing home abuse lawyer, or made a complaint. Indeed, if this is the case, then it will give you a very good idea that this is not the type of establishment that will best protect your older relatives in their more vulnerable years. 

Make them aware of scams

Often scammers will target older people because they know things like reduced hearing, sight mobility, and in some cases, cognitive function can leave them more vulnerable to being fooled. Unfortunately, scams also seem to get ever more sophisticated, and this can mean that your older loved ones are at even more risk. 

To that end, doing what you can to educate your relatives is vital if you are to protect them from scams. In particular, explaining and teaching them how to spot a phishing scam online is vital. It can also be very helpful to install good quality security software on any devices they use, as well as check-in from time to time to see if they need any additional support. 

Finally, when it comes to door-to-door scammers, one of the best courses of action is to install a video doorbell at your older relative's property. Then they will be able to see who is at the door, and not let in anyone they don't already know or are expecting.  

Help them be more mobile 

Mobility issues can be a big part of getting older, and unfortunately, as they get worse, your loved one's ability to get out and be active in the community can also wane. 

Then there are the problems that mobility issues can cause at home. After all, it's not easy to keep your house clean or cook for yourself, when you are struggling to get around. Finally, mobility issues can also present a safety risk to your aging loved ones, with slips, trips, and falls often being far more dangerous and causing damage that can take a long time to heal. 

The good news is there are some things you can do to protect your elderly relatives from the worst consequences of reduced mobility. The first is easy too, just be there to offer transportation so they can still go to the shops, buy hair dresses, and see their friends. 

If they are still living in their own home, supervising modifications that can make moving around easier is another great idea. Such changes may include widening doorways, and installing ramps over stairs or steps to make them easier to negotiate. 

Finally, adding a safety call button is a great way to make sure that if your loved one does have the misfortune to have a fall, they won't be left on the floor for hours. Indeed, the idea of a security call button is that they wear it around their neck and can call immediately for assistance if something does happen. 

Improve security in their property

Last of all, if your older relatives can stay in their own property, you can help protect them by ensuring they have the right kinds of security. There are some very basic things you can do here like making sure there are locks on all the windows and doors, and that your relatives use these when they go to bed at night. You may need to remind them to use these or instruct any caretakers that come to put your relative to bed to check all the locks before leaving at night. 

Additionally, adding a security alarm system and CCTV can help deter anyone from breaking in, as well as help provide peace of mind for your and your relative, as they age. 

 

This is a contributed post.

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