Is It Safe For Your Elderly Parent To Be Living Alone?

Older adults often require supervision and support and their needs may continue to increase as they age. The level of supervision required depends on the type of assistance needed and any safety concerns you may have.

Understandably, this is often a point of shame for aging parents. It is interpreted as a loss of independence, and they may feel like a burden.

The key to helping your aging parent ease into this transition is emphasizing the benefits of putting extra support in place.

When done strategically and compassionately, putting assistance or supervision at home in place will allow both you and your loved one to focus on what is meaningful and allow for more freedom, not less.

Home Safety For Seniors

As our parents age, they often face new challenges with their health and mobility. These changes can make it difficult to live independently, and they can also increase the risk of accidents around the home.

Taking some simple steps to improve home safety can make a big difference in the lives of our aging parents and allow them to age in place longer.

For example, installing handrails on stairs and in showers can help to prevent falls. Adding extra lighting can make it easier to see hazards around the home. And decluttering rooms can help to reduce trip hazards. By taking these measures, our aging parents can maintain their independence and reduce their risk of injury.

How to determine whether a home is safe for your aging parent

While every family and every individual's circumstances are going to be different, there are some key factors to take into consideration when determining if your parent is safe at home.

From a medical perspective, determining whether a home is a safe place or not comes down to:

The individual's capabilities:

• What can they physically do independently?

• Can they manage medications independently?

• Are they able to prepare their food safely?

• What chronic health conditions do they have that could make an injury more likely?

• What is their cognitive status?

• Do they have dementia or Alzheimer's disease, which could impact their ability to identify hazards around the home?

The social supports they have available:

• Do they have close family or friends nearby who can check in on them regularly?

• Do they have access to transportation if they need it?

• Do they have someone to help with groceries or other errands?

How accessible the home is:

• Is the home cluttered or in disrepair?

• Are there trip hazards?

• Is the lighting adequate?

• Are there handrails on the stairs?

• Is the home easy to navigate for someone with mobility issues?

Does your aging parent require supervision to remain at home?

No assistance is typically required if...

• Your aging parent is independent in all areas of self-care and there are no safety concerns at home.

Part-time assistance may be required if...

• Your aging parent needs some help with showering and dressing but can do things like go to the toilet independently.

• Support with grocery shopping is needed or getting to appointments.

Full-time assistance may be required if...

• Your aging parent needs assistance in most self-care tasks, such as bathing, dressing, and some assistance with toilet hygiene as well as assistance with meals

24/7 assistance is probably required if...

• Your aging parent needs assistance in all areas of self-care (toileting, mobility, and transfers from one place to another)

• There are moderate to severe cognitive delays

Benefits of having assistance in the home

While having someone available to assist on a 24/7 basis can be a daunting task for family members, there are many benefits to providing around-the-clock supervision for aging parents.

Perhaps the most important benefit is that it helps to keep seniors safe. Having someone available at all times can help to prevent accidents and injuries, and it also provides peace of mind for both seniors and their families.

Additionally, 24/7 care and assistance can help improve seniors’ mental health by providing companionship and reducing feelings of isolation. Sometimes, it can also improve seniors’ physical health by reminding them to take medications and assisting with tasks like bathing and dressing.

The peace of mind of knowing there is 24/7 supervision can also allow family members to take breaks from caregiving duties while still knowing that their loved ones are being well taken care of.

How to ease your aging parent into accepting help

The transition to needing extra support in the home can be a difficult adjustment for both children and parents, but there are some things that you can do to ease the transition.

Start by trying to have an open and honest conversation with your parent about their needs. It may be hard for them to admit that they need help, but it is important to have this conversation. Once you know what kind of help they need, you can start to look for resources. Many organizations offer services for seniors, so you should be able to find something that is a good fit for your parent in your area.

Finally, be patient and understanding. It is a big adjustment for your parent to need extra support, and it will take some time for them to get used to it. Approaching the decision to seek extra support with patience and understanding will help to make it a successful transition for all involved.

Tips for making a home safe for an aging parent

If your aging parent is going to be living alone, there are some things that you can do to help ensure their home is safe.

First, try to declutter and simplify the home as much as possible. Clutter can be a trip hazard, and it can also make it difficult for seniors to find things that they need. Removing unnecessary items from the home will help to make it safer and easier to navigate.

Another thing that you can do is to make sure that there are handrails on all of the stairs, and that the stairway is well-lit. Stairs can be a falls hazard for seniors, so it is important to make sure that they are as safe as possible.

Grab bars should also be installed in the bathroom, and make sure that there is a nonslip mat in the shower. These things can help to prevent falls in the bathroom, which is one of the most common places for seniors to have accidents.

Making some simple changes in the home can help to make it a safer place for an aging parent to live.

Checking-In

Even if your aging parent is living alone, it is important to stay in touch and check in on them regularly. Try to schedule regular phone calls or visits so that you can check in on their well-being and see how they are doing, both physically and cognitively.

The decision to have your elderly parent age in place at home or move them into a long-term care facility is never easy. There are many things to consider when making this decision, but ultimately, you want to do what is best for your parent and ensure they receive the care and assistance they need to be safe and maintain their quality of life.

If you have any concerns about the safety of aging parents at home, join us in the comments section to discuss them. We would love to hear your thoughts and offer advice on creating a safe environment for your elderly loved ones.

At Universal Home Consulting, we understand the importance of aging in place and helping families feel confident that their loved ones can stay safe and healthy at home. We offer virtual home safety assessments to help families identify potential risks and create a plan to address them. We also provide caregiver coaching to provide education and support to help prevent injury and burnout.