5 Tips for Helping Your Parents Stay Independent at Home

If your aging parents are having health and safety concerns about living home alone, you may need to reassess the situation. Turn your worry about your parents living alone into a plan that addresses both your need for their safety and their need to remain independent. There are a variety of ways to help make sure your parents’ home is safe for them. But most importantly, you should involve your parent in these safety checks. Don’t make it patronizing or make them feel old, but do explain that you’re worried about them and think some changes could help them. Then show them your ideas for helping them maintain their independence.

Assess Parents Needs

Your parents should be able to take care of basic things like personal hygiene and meal preparation with minimal help. But there are other areas of their life where some assistance may be needed. Mobility, home safety, and social interaction are also areas where your aging parents could need help.

Evaluate Their Home

Helping your parents keep their independence by living at home may require some modern changes to the home. These changes can help address mobility problems or make it easier for them and avoid hazards like stairs. Installing practical and easy to use residential elevators can give your parents more mobility than you ever imagined. Some of the home elevator benefits for parents far outweigh the cost of installation, creating a worry-free addition to their home.

Ask Them About Their Routine

Have you noticed your parents are behaving differently than you noticed when you lived with them? Is your dad avoiding any rooms upstairs, even though his office is up there? Sometimes, parents will adjust their routine rather than confront a problem head-on. Spotting routine changes and changes in behavior can help you understand if your parents are avoiding an activity for health reasons.

Home Renovations

Once you assess your parents’ needs in regards to home care and mobility, you should plan for any home renovations to make life at home more comfortable. Home elevators like those from an Australian residential lift specialist can reach upper stories can help elderly parents maintain independence in the whole home. Ramps outside can make it easier for parents with walking assistance devices feel more secure when entering/exiting the home. If your parent has a new mobility scooter to assist them in getting around, cabinet modifications in the kitchen could be helpful. Don’t forget about the bathroom when accommodating new mobility requirements, too. Helping your parent retain their bathroom independence can go a long way in keeping them happy at home.

General Clutter Tips

A general run through of the rest of the home can help your parents maintain mobility without possible accidents. Remove any clutter, cords, or runner rugs that could cause a trip or fall. You can consider grab bars in the bathroom and stair railings to help in crucial areas. Lighting updates in all the rooms to provide adequate lighting can go a long way, too. Appliances should be well-maintained and within easy reach. Stepping stools or the need to bend low should be minimized as much as possible.