June is National Safety Month and safety is a strong component of Springpoint at Home’s care plan for your elder. Although the National Safety Council (NSC) focuses their message on safety and health risks during the summer months, family and professional caregivers must focus on the safety of their elders all year long.
Safety concerns run the gamut, from mitigating falls to adherence to medication requirements to raising the question of whether it is safe for them to be driving. Family caregivers work hard to keep their loved one safe, but it is difficult to anticipate all the potential safety pitfalls and then find them the right solution. It is especially difficult when family does not live close by and does not get to see their loved one often in their home environment. Springpoint at Home’s Care Managers/Aging Life Care Advisors™ help navigate these challenging conversations and decisions.
When you engage an Aging Life Care Advisor™, they complete a home safety evaluation that includes many aspects for aging in place successfully. For example, looking beyond the usual fall and tripping hazards to include fire safety, evacuation plans and a myriad of other facets of your loved one’s home. Their Care Manager/Aging Life Care Advisor™ will give options and resources to solve concerns identified in the home safety evaluation. They continue to monitor the situation and are ready to step in if there are changes to your loved one’s health, cognition, mobility or home.
Because an Aging Life Care Advisor™ is intimately involved with your elder and familiar with how they use their home, they can bring in partners, like an occupational therapist, to evaluate if railings, a walker or other hardware is needed. Determining the right approach to staying safe in your home is not a one-size-fits-all solution.
“A huge part of safety is a proper home assessment. We make sure bathrooms and shower stalls are safe, have non-skid mast and proper lighting as well as making sure there are no trip hazards. We are fortunate to work with solid aging in place agencies for our modifications and further occupational evaluations.” Rachel Glatt, Geriatric Care Manager/Aging Life Care Advisor™
