Samantha Young, Director of Practical Care Continuum, a home care agency in Austin, Texas shares solid tips on senior's living at home.
Are you confused when thinking about your aging parent's safety? Do you second guess your aging family member's ability to live independently? And yet, you know deep in your heart that they really want to remain in their home and you don't want to disrupt their comfort level.
And you know what? Most family caregivers walk this path of second guessing and worrying about our parent's safety, cleanliness, and nutrition. So how can you know what to look for when evaluating the safety of a loved one in their home?
What Samantha talks about here are the safety issues and what to look for to make sure your family member is safe, especially while they are away.
And that's not all, Samantha shares a checklist with us that she gives to families when they are in a dilemma of figuring out what to look for. I remember when my siblings and I were in the middle of helping dad and figuring out what kind of help he needs, it would have been so helpful to have a checklist that Practical Care gives to families facilitating direction and clarity.
Here's a sample of what to look for when assessing for the care they need:
- Ability to use the phone - operates the phone on own initiative. Can dial, look up numbers, etc.
- Shopping - takes care of all shopping needs independently.
- Food preparation - plans, shops, prepares, and serves adequate meals independently.
- Housekeeping - maintains the house alone or occassional help for cleaning.
- Laundry - does personal laundry completely
- Travel - independently on on public transportation or drives own car.
- Responsibility for own medication - is responsible for taking correct dosage at correct times.
- Ability to handle finances - manages financial matters independently.
Thank you for visiting. Carol@workingcaregiver.com
