How to help the elderly in the home

The elderly can meet most of their basic needs in the home with minimal assistance . However, they often need the help of family and friends to guide them and suggest changes in their lives that can make old age easier. If you have an older person in your life, you can take positive steps to help them stay safe and comfortable.

Steps to follow:

one

Discuss with the older person about the assistance needs you have. Some older people are reluctant to admit that they need help.

two

Help organize all your documents in one file. Put warnings in the refrigerator. Hang a calendar in a visible place and mark important dates. Put pencils near the phones, so you can easily take notes. Make a list of frequently used phone numbers, including doctors, family, friends, transportation and emergency contacts. Write in large, legible letters.

3

Make sure your home is safe. Remove cables and carpets that may cause accidents. Expand the spaces between the furniture. Move the kitchen items to the shelves below. Buy a kitchen utensil that opens cans safely. Put a rubber mat in the tub to prevent slipping. Install a bath chair in the tub or shower, if necessary. Connect the lights at night. Make sure the carbon monoxide and smoke detectors are working, and change the batteries regularly. Make sure that the door and window locks work correctly.

4

Helping the adult to enter and exit the bathtub may be necessary.

5

Help him organize his medications in pill containers with monthly or weekly capacity. Print a chart of medicines, spares and the doses at which medications should be taken.

6

Prepare several meals and freeze them, so that using the microwave, they can be ingested.

7

Hold regular conversations with the adult person in question, to see if it sounds healthy, sad or worried. Visit the in person as many times as possible.

Tips
  • If with these tips you believe that the adult person can not live safely and comfortably, get in touch with people specialized in this sector.