Safety at Home – Elder Care « Home Care – Elder Care « Elder Care

Articles, Publications and Resources re:
Safety Issues for Elder Care at Home

Articles and Publications About Elder Care Safety:

• 5 Inexpensive Ways to Elder Proof Your Home (Reuters Money – 2/3/11)
  Planning for your golden years now, before an accident happens, will likely allow for more independence as you age. One-in-three adults aged 65 and older falls every year, making falls the leading cause of injury death among seniors. 
• 15 Home Modifications to Make Aging-in-Place Safe (senioradvisors.com)
  For seniors that want to age in place, keeping your home safe and comfortable requires making a few home modifications.
• Basic First Aid Resources (Online Nursing Degrees)
  It is important to know first aid because it can prevent injuries or illnesses from progressing in severity, and it can save lives. There are certain first aid skills that are critically important to know.  
• Budget-Friendly Smart Home Accommodations for Seniors and Individuals with Special Needs
  This guide was designed to provide a thorough understanding of the latest smart home technology, and suggestions for specific software and devices that can be incorporated into a home to accommodate each of seven of the most common types of disabilities: hearing difficulty, vision difficulty, speech/language difficulty, cognitive difficulty or memory loss, ambulatory difficult, arthritis, and self-care/independent living difficulty.  
• Fall Prevention & Mobility: Practical Safety and Organization Strategies for Seniors
  Making a home safe for a senior loved one does not have to be a massive or costly project. There are small changes you can make each day that, over time, will dramatically reduce the risk of falls.
• Family Claims Comcast Let Grandma Bleed To Death On Thanksgiving (The Consumerist – 10/28/10)
  What happens when you have phone service through Comcast and you dial 0 for the operator in an emergency? A family in Florida claims that Comcast's negligence killed their grandmother. The elderly woman bled to death next to her phone while waiting for the Comcast operator and emergency services to figure out where she lived.  
• From Minor to Major: The Complete Guide to Home Modifications to Prevent Seniors From Falling
  This guide is intended to help you evaluate the living environment for the seniors in your life, so you can create a space that is free from unnecessary fall risks.
• Graceful Aging
  Graceful Aging is a television show designed to promote living safe, healthy, and dignified. Each episode focuses on a single topic important to older adults and those concerned. Driving for older adults, home safety, fall prevention, dementia issues, marriage and dating are samples of past shows. Each show is guided towards practical useful information by host and producer Gregory Bator. "Our goal for every show is to enhance and improve an older adult's life. Spouses, family members, and friends often struggle with aging issues. We tackle and unravel those struggles," says Bator.
• High-Tech Devices Keep Elderly Safe From Afar (NY Times – 5-25-08)
  First thing every morning, Lynn Pitet, of Cody, Wyo., checks her computer to see whether her mother, Helen Trost, has gotten out of bed, taken her medication and whether she is moving around inside her house hundreds of miles away in Minnesota. For related article, see "Technologies Help Adult Children Monitor Aging Parents."  
• Home Organization for Seniors with Disabilities and the Newly Disabled
  For those who love and care for newly disabled senior adults, learning more about the disability is essential so you can help them learn to adapt. Here are the most common types of disabilities seniors may deal with, and some important information about them. 
• Keeping Seniors and Special Needs Individuals Safe Around Construction
  This comprehensive guide has been designed to provide safety best practices for seniors, disabled adults, and their caregivers to help them safely navigate construction sites. Also, it outlines the ADA’s recommended construction zone safety standards. If a worst-case scenario occurs, and you or a loved one is injured in a construction zone, this guide also offers actionable advice for how to react and respond.
• Safe at Home? Developing Effective Criminal Background Checks and Other Screening Policies for Home Care Workers
  AARP’s Public Policy Institute released a report on federal and state approaches to background check screening of home care workers to protect vulnerable adults from harm. (From the link above you can link to the full report and a two-page summary). It includes a 50-state statutory chart.  
• Senior-Friendly Remodeling
  Preparing your home for your senior years is a long-term project that should be started as early as possible — preferably well before middle age.
• Should They Stay or Should They Go: Home Modifications and Selling Your Home
  If you or someone you love is dealing with limited mobility, or if you are caring for a senior in your life, you may need to make some modifications to allow them to live comfortably and independently at home. As you consider these modifications, you will also want to consider the impact they have on the resale value of your home, should you need to sell your home at a later date. Here's what you need to know about home modifications and resale value.
• Home Safety: How Well Does Your Home Meet Your Needs? (AARP)
  A caregiving checklist.
• When the Meal Won't Go Down (NY Times – 4/21/10)
  When an older person regularly gags or chokes in the middle of a meal, it’s obvious that there’s a problem. But what of the more subtle symptoms of trouble while eating?

Resources About Elder Care Safety: