While you never want to think about your elderly parent facing an emergency or serious event, in your role as a family caregiver, it is crucial that you help your parent to prepare for and address these properly. Ignoring the possibility that they might experience such an event, or not preparing them properly, can leave your parent vulnerable to a variety of serious consequences, putting their health, safety, and property at risk.
One of the most important things that you can do to help protect your parent is to make sure that your loved one has an appropriate home emergency plan. This is a plan that is put into place to ensure that if an emergency or catastrophic event occurs in your parent’s home, they will know how to respond in order to protect themselves and improve the chances of getting through this event safely. As a family caregiver it is important that you not only help your parent develop such a plan, but also that you share this plan with the rest of your parent’s care network, including their home care provider, so that no matter when the emergency occurs, your loved one is ready.
A home emergency, or safety, plan is a very personal thing and your parent’s will rely on their own challenges and limitations, but some elements that may be included are:
- Identifying various exits throughout the home and practice how your parent can use these from different places in the home.
- Reviewing how to choose the most appropriate exit depending on the emergency situation. For example, if your parent lives in an apartment building with an elevator, they should know not to attempt to use the elevator if there is a fire.
- Ensure that your parent has access to a phone and contact information for all members of their care network as well as emergency responders.
- Pack an emergency kit and store it somewhere that is easy to access in the event of an emergency. You might also want to consider packing another kit and keeping it in your own home so that your parent has essentials if something happens and they must be away from their home.
- Establish a code word that you share only with the most trusted members of your care network so that if your parent is in an emergency, they are able to communicate this safely and efficiently.
- If your parent has a trusted neighbor, leave a key to their home with them so that they are able to respond in the event of an emergency.
If you have been considering how you are able to enhance your parent’s life and ensure that they get everything that they need to remain as healthy, happy, safe, and comfortable as possible as they age in place, now may be the ideal time to start home care for them. An in-home senior care services provider can be with your parent on a customized schedule that ensures that they always have care and support when they need it to help them manage their personal needs, address their challenges and limitations, and keep their lifestyle as active, engaged, and independent as possible. Keeping your senior safe is one of the most important priorities that you have as a family caregiver, and entrusting a home care provider with some of your parent’s care can help you to feel more confident that your parent will be secure in their home.
If you are considering home care in Shelby, OH, call the caring staff at Central Star Home Health at (419) 610-2161. Providing services for families in Mansfield, Lexington, Bellville, Mt. Gilead, Loudonville, Crestline, Galion, Shelby, Ashland, Wooster, and the surrounding areas.
Source:
http://jacksonville.com/opinion/blog/400691/inside-hubbard-house/2011-08-23/national-safe-home-week
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