The presence of our elders in our lives is no less than a blessing. But taking their care, especially when they get older, is crucial. As we grow older, our health needs more care and immediate attention.
Dr. Sonal Mhatre, BHMS, with 17 years of Clinical experience, shares eight ways to ensure the utmost care of senior citizens at home.
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Emergency kits: Keeping an emergency kit with all essential medicines that a senior citizen may require is the most important thing to do while considering the health of senior citizens at home. In addition, keep a regular check on the items, whether they are appropriate to be used in terms of their expiry date. Keep replenishing the same in case of expiry.
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Medications: It is important to keep all medicines in original containers so you don’t mix them up. Keep all the labels intact and store them as instructed. Also, maintain a clear log for all the allergies that your elderly family member may have. Such specifications should be kept along with other medical records. Additionally, medical insurance cards should be kept in an easily accessible place.
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Preventing the possibility of falling: Ensure that the floor is not wet and constantly kept dry so that senior citizens can move around the house easily without slipping. Ensure that they wear non-slippery footwear. Further, get the uneven steps or damaged steps repaired.
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Safety First: Avoid bathroom hazards by installing grab bars in the shower area and near the toilet to ensure that the elderly can move around easily with safety. You may also place rubber mats in the bathtub to prevent slipping.
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Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices help to manage Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes. Continuous glucose monitoring can help control blood sugar throughout the day and night. Most CGMs can send alarms or alert messages when they detect low or high glucose levels, ensuring they are addressed promptly.
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Hearing Aids: The dangers of being unable to hear can be life-threatening. For example, a senior with severe hearing loss may not be able to hear smoke detectors or alarms for fire or a theft attempt, leaving them vulnerable to numerous risks. Hearing aids can also help resolve hearing loss to some extent.
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Good Lighting: Poor vision may impact balance and increase the risk of falling and getting injured in older people. In the case of diabetes, ensure that regular eye check-ups are done. Keep surroundings well-lit; use night-lamps in hallways, bathrooms, and bedrooms, to reduce the risk of tripping or falling at night. Eliminate clutter and remove hazards such as throw rugs and electrical cords. Create wide, clear, and level walking paths that lead to all areas of the home for easy and safe navigation.
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Improve Household Organization: Designate spots for commonly used items and ensure you keep the objects back in the same place every time, so your loved ones don’t have to search for necessary things.
In addition to the above measure, all necessary health gear, such as an asthma pump, blood pressure monitoring device etc. should be kept handy as required by an individual. All the emergency contact numbers should be kept handy for reference and written in a prominent place.
