Many seniors who are having trouble with mobility have extra trouble with stairs. If they continue trying to go up and down the stairs on their own, they might risk a fall. Luckily, there are lots of ways that family caregivers can help make stairs safer for aging adults, including working with home care providers to ensure that stairs stay as safe as possible.
Install Extra Handrails and Grab Bars
Grab bars and handrails are key to safety on stairs. If handholds are on only one side of the stairway, it’s a good idea to install them on the other side, too. That way, seniors have a sturdy bar to hold no matter which side they’re on or whether they’re going up or down the stairs.
Home care providers can also help seniors with mobility while they help with other tasks.
Check the Lighting
Good lighting makes a huge difference for seniors when it comes to being safe on stairs. Sometimes, seniors don’t realize that they cannot see well in lower light. Swapping out existing lighting for brighter bulbs and adding fixtures can be tremendously helpful. Motion-sensing lights are another idea.
Keep Stairs Free of Clutter
Clutter on the stairs, whether loose items or simply unsecured carpeting, is dangerous for seniors. Home care providers can help aging adults stay on top of clutter and keep things tidy. Removing clutter and keeping it gone greatly improves overall safety for seniors.
Encourage Proper Footwear
Many seniors don’t enjoy wearing shoes at home or they choose footwear like slippers. These may be comfortable options, but they are not necessarily the most secure option. When seniors wear footwear with good traction and sturdy soles, their footing is more secure everywhere, including on the stairs.
Offer Assistance and Supervision
If seniors aren’t steady on their feet, stairs are already a problem. Home care providers can offer both assistance and supervision for seniors while helping them with a variety of other tasks. They can also help family caregivers learn more about the best and safest ways to assist seniors with mobility challenges, especially on the stairs.
Do Regular Safety Checks
Stuff changes all the time. Seniors’ needs change, home repairs need to be made, and clutter can build up. It’s important that family caregivers do regular safety checks in their seniors’ homes. Home care providers can help families tackle this on a regular basis.
Consider Modifications
Some seniors’ homes need some moedifications in order to increase safety, especially on the stairs. If it makes sense to do so, a stair lift can be a great modification to keep seniors safe on the stairs. That might not be possible, however, so it could be easier or more cost-effective to relocate bedrooms and essential items to the main floor.
Home care providers can offer so much support to both seniors and family caregivers to help keep seniors safe everywhere in their homes, particularly on stairways. They can provide education, hands-on support, and assistance with all sorts of everyday tasks.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Home Care in Belgrade, MT, please contact the caring staff at Qualicare MT today at (406) 551-6700
Qualicare MT Provides Exceptional Home Care in Bozeman, Belgrade, Livingston, Three Forks, Manhattan, and surrounding areas.
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