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Special Safety Precautions When Caring for a Senior with Alzheimer's Disease

September 1, 2016

Home Care in Palm City FL

Home Care in Palm City FLBeing a caregiver for an elderly adult who is suffering from Alzheimer's disease can be a stressful and sometimes overwhelming experience. One of the most important things that you will need to keep in mind when handling the seemingly ever-changing symptoms and effects of this disease is how to keep your aging parent, and yourself, safe throughout the experience. Some of the special safety precautions that you should keep in mind when caring for a senior with Alzheimer's disease include: • Resolve fall hazards. Seniors with Alzheimer's disease are at particular risk of falling. These falls can be extremely dangerous for your aging parent, but they can also be dangerous for you. If your parent falls when you are caring for them and you are not prepared, you both may suffer injuries. Go through the home and identify potential fall hazards so that you can resolve them to reduce the chances that your senior will experience a fall. • Lock all potentially dangerous containers. The average home is full of potential dangers for seniors who are dealing with Alzheimer's disease. Go through the home and identify these potential dangers so that you can lock them up to prevent access. This can include medicine cabinets, cabinets with chemicals, garages, and doors leading to basement steps. • Create a secure home. Wandering is a serious issue for elderly adults with Alzheimer's disease. In a matter of moments they can get out of the home and become lost or injured. Add extra layers of security to the home by putting more than one lock on every door, locking and securing windows, and adding alarms that will go off if your parent tries to open them. • Maintain safe water temperatures. Elderly adults are often less capable of detecting changes in temperature. This is particularly true for seniors who are dealing with Alzheimer's disease. This means that they may scald their skin with hot water and not realize it, meaning that they leave their skin exposed to the water for longer, putting them in extreme danger of skin damage and infection. Talk to their doctor about what temperature they should set their water heater on to maintain a safe temperature. It is important that you do not turn the temperature too low as it can harbor mold, mildew, and bacteria set at lower temperatures. Mark the hot water faucet to offer a visual reminder of the potential danger. If you are concerned about your elderly parent's safety now that they are dealing with Alzheimer's disease, it may be the ideal time for you to consider starting home care for them. An in-home senior care services provider can be with your parent on a customized schedule to ensure that they get the care, support, and assistance that they need in the way that is right for them so that they are able to continue living an engaged, active, and fulfilling lifestyle while remaining safe. Starting this type of care as early in the progression with Alzheimer's disease as possible is highly effective at allowing your parent to form a relationship with the care provider and get into a routine that is comfortable, effective, and sustainable for the future of their progression with the disease.
If you or an aging loved one are considering home care in Palm City, FL, contact the caring staff at BrightStar Care of Jupiter. Call today (561) 741-1200.