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Do you have an elder loved one who lives alone? Whether you are across the country or just down the street, knowing that they are in their homes by themselves can be concerning, especially as they begin to slow down as part of the natural aging process.
The Pew Research Center says that one-third of all seniors live on their own, and most of these elderly adults live in their own private households.1 A senior living alone is quite common in the U.S. but not so much in other countries, where the majority of households consist of several generations living under one roof. In other cultures, most seniors have assistance in their day-to-day lives that those in the United States are often lacking.
Your senior loved one might be doing just fine on their own – in fact, they might be thriving. But what happens when they begin to have trouble with the day-to-day activities that allow them to live independently in their own home? When their challenges increase over time, you might wonder how they can live alone and stay safe.
Before you have the conversation about the care they might need, consider other options that could give you peace of mind and provide them with the independence they crave. Here are 5 ways you can ensure your senior loved one is safe while they are home alone.
1. Security Systems
Whether you are a frequent visitor, a staple of their day-to-day life, or a long-distance caregiver who sees them only occasionally, a security system can benefit everyone. These systems can often be installed for a small up-front fee and then you get a monthly, quarterly, or annual bill for the service.
An emergency button alarm from Alert1 can be a literal lifesaver. A personal, emergency response system (also known as a medical alert system) means your loved one is never actually alone. They can reach out to a live, trained responder at a monitoring center, day or night, at any time, to get the help they need. It’s a very smart option for seniors who live alone and provides much more security for the caregiver too, as you can sleep easier knowing they can get help even if you aren’t there.
2. Home or Apartment Maintenance
According to Forbes, the vast majority of those over the age of 50 want to age in place. As they get older, that desire becomes stronger – in fact, 92% of older seniors want to live out their golden years at home. Over the last 20 years, the population in nursing homes has declined while the number of seniors who live in traditional housing has gone up.
Reasons why they want to age in place include preferring their quiet residential neighborhood, feeling safe where they are, being confident in their ability to take care of themselves and their mental health, financial reasons, and a desire to maintain their own personal space and independence.2
But there are many aspects of maintaining a home or apartment that can become much more difficult as we get older. Some of these are obvious. For instance, it’s a sure bet that you don’t want your loved one up on a ladder cleaning out gutters. That’s a job that even the most able-bodied person might not want to attempt!
Even smaller tasks, such as changing out the air filter for the furnace or cleaning the ceiling fan blades, might be difficult for those who are challenged with mobility issues or other problems of aging. Apartment living offers some perks that you don’t get with owning your own home, such as not having to handle the lawn care, snow removal, or getting pest control included in the cost of rent. But there are other things that can be difficult for seniors to manage—including stairs.
Hiring a cleaning service for your loved one can work wonders to keep them safe and secure. By cleaning out the clutter, you help them avoid the risk of falls and other injuries. A housekeeping service can keep things neat and tidy while also providing another set of eyes to make sure they are okay in their day-to-day life.
If your budget is tight, you could look to family and friends who are local to your loved one to help with these tasks. You can also ask your elderly loved one to hold off on major chores until you can come to help them, and then plan a weekend where you focus on making their home safe, clean, and secure.
What if your loved one insists on doing things on their own, even if they are not quite capable of handling it anymore? That’s another good opportunity to gift them with an affordable medical alert pendant. Perhaps you can’t stop them from getting on that step ladder to change a lightbulb, but you can give them the ability to get help fast if it is ever needed.
3. A Circle of Friends
Living alone means a greater risk of social isolation and loneliness. Though a person can be socially isolated and not feel lonely, or a person can be lonely but not socially isolated, the two conditions often go hand-in-hand – and either one of them can lead to negative consequences.
For instance, the CDC reports that those who are socially isolated have a greater risk of dementia, heart disease, and stroke than those who have a strong social support system. Nearly one-fourth of seniors meet the criteria for being socially isolated.
As a caregiver, you might feel guilty if you can’t be there for your loved one all the time. You might wonder if they are lonely or if they feel a little uncertain about going out into the neighborhood on a sunny day. Encouraging them to make friends can help alleviate the worry for you and bring them great joy and a sense of purpose.
Start with their local senior center. These centers provide wonderful advantages to seniors in the community, which might include everything from a hot meal served among friends, transportation to and from shopping centers, field trips to landmarks or points of interest in the local area, and plenty of services to make life easier, such as tax filing help. Most senior centers start accepting enrollees at the age of 55 or so, and membership is often free or has a very nominal cost.
If they don’t have a local senior center or have enough trouble with mobility that getting out in public is a hassle, consider hiring a care companion for them. Someone who comes to sit with them for a few hours each day not only provides some mental stimulation and emotional support, but can also spot small problems before they become big issues.
For instance, if a companion notices that your loved one is having more trouble seeing than usual, they can alert you, so you can make arrangements to get them to the eye doctor to get checked out.
Make sure any care companion, close friends, local family members, or anyone else who helps your loved one has your phone number and other contact information. This is also where medical alert technology can help ensure that your loved one has help if they need it, literally right there at their fingertips.
4. Getting Good Nutrition
One of the biggest worries you might have is whether your loved one is eating enough, and are they eating the right foods to keep them healthy and strong?
It might become more difficult for seniors to get around the kitchen safely, especially if their mobility begins to decline during their golden years. Standing at the stove to cook something might become exhausting. Some chronic conditions might make that situation worse, such as arthritis in their hands that makes it tough to open jars or wield a knife with the same ease they have always known.
Proper nutrition is one of the strong keys to living a longer, healthier life. You can help ensure they get the food they need through modifying their kitchen as much as you can.
Consider a microwave that is at counter-level for ease of use, pull-out shelves that allow them to reach cans and boxes with ease, and non-skid flooring that can help them stay upright even if they splash a little water on the floor while boiling the pasta. For those with arthritis or other problems with using their hands, adaptive utensils can help immensely.
You can also identify healthy foods that are easy to prepare. There was probably a time when your loved one could create a whole holiday spread of food, but now lifting a roasted turkey from the oven might be an impossible task. Foods that are easy to prepare, microwavable, or built for just one serving are great options. Talk to them about what they like to eat and plan accordingly. Things like pouches of salmon, hummus, canned beans, and frozen vegetables are all healthy yet simple and easy to prepare.
5. Medical Alerts and Home Modifications
Did you know that seniors over the age of 75 make up one of the largest groups of people who die from preventable household accidents? According to the National Safety Council, some accidents are more common in this age group than others, such as choking on food, the consequences of heat or cold, and dying in a fire. Among all the potential accidents, however, falls are the most common and send at least three million seniors to the emergency department every year.
Home modifications can help avoid this tragic situation. If your loved one is struggling with mobility, consider installing grab bars in the bathroom and around the toilet, as well as raised toilet seats or shower benches to make day-to-day life easier. Rails on the stairways and bright lighting throughout the house are a great idea. These modifications can keep anyone safer, no matter the age – and they can also add value to the home.
Another important safety tool is an affordable alert system for elderly adults. From the attractive new wristband from Alert1 to the classic pendant that can be worn either at home or on the go, there is an ideal option for your loved one. Choose one with fall detection for even deeper peace of mind, as this feature means that the device itself will send an alert to the monitoring center if a fall is sensed, even if your loved one cannot press the button on the alert.
The monitoring center can have important information on hand so they are ready when that call comes in. This includes your phone number or the numbers of others who can reach your loved one as quickly as possible. And of course, if it’s a true emergency, the helpful professionals at the monitoring center can send emergency services. And they will stay on the line with your precious loved one until help arrives.
Today is the time for peace of mind. Let Alert1 help you be the best possible caregiver for the person you love.
