by Beth Herman for Amada Senior Care
If you’re a senior, or are looking out for an aging loved one, the things we accumulate can present challenges throughout our living environment. Clutter can contribute to feelings of confusion and overwhelm.
While some senior falls are caused by physical decline, balance and mobility issues, clutter in one’s surroundings can present hazards to navigate, increasing the opportunities to trip and suffer injuries. In some cases, a safer living environment isn’t all about clutter and may warrant some degree of adaptive remodeling such as lowering countertops, adding grab bars, roll in shower access, etc.
VA grants and long-term care insurance benefits may cover some or all of the home modifications. In addition to any adaptive remodeling, the following ideas may help ensure your senior loved one’s environment does not present a fall risk—making it more conducive to safe, accident-free living:
- Make sure there are appropriate and out-of-the-way baskets and/or bins for anything used temporarily, such as blankets or pet toys, and reading or knitting material. Installing shelves where there may be none is also helpful if it will not impede the room’s flow.
- If it’s time to purge the environment of excessive knickknacks or memorabilia, taking photographs for digital storage can work wonders in enabling visible access to these memories whenever the senior wants to see them, without physically having them in the environment.
- Should the prospect of decluttering after years of living a certain way be overwhelming, hiring a professional to go through the home with the senior and/or family members, removing obstacles, organizing and teaching everyone how to maintain the space is always a good idea.
If you would like to learn more about care options for your loved one, contact Amada Senior Care at (215)422-3095 today.
Visit AmadaBucksMontgomery.com for more information.
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