Maneuvering at Home

As the baby boomers move into the aging population, more elderly individuals are determined to spend their remaining years in their own homes.

Living in your home into your elderly years is a great idea, but it does cause a number of safety concerns and issues when it comes to maneuvering at home. With a few simple modifications to your home, you will be able to easily maneuver around your home and continue to live independently.

Living at home safely and independently may require a few modifications.

Home renovations
Some people live in ramblers or single-story homes, but a large portion of the population has multiple levels, and they are unable to easily get up and down the stairs in their homes. To help with this, you need to undergo a few home renovations that will allow you to continue using your home. Railings are essential to prevent falling down the stairs, but climbing up all of those stairs can hurt your knees, and they aren’t easy to get up and down. A chair lift is a great addition to your home if you would still like to go up and down the stairs. A chair lift will attach to your stairway and you sit on it as it moves you up and down the stairs. The downside is that it will make your hallway quite narrow, which can be frustrating for other people that use the stairs in your home.

Some homes do not have large staircases and only have about 5 stairs. If you live in a home with a small amount of stairs, you can use a ramp to cover the stairs and then use a wheelchair to go up and down them. Even a walker will easily glide up and down a ramp, making it easy for you to get up and down the stairs. For information on purchasing a nice walker or wheelchair, these links list of some high-quality ones for reasonable prices. 

Safety alarms

Emergency Alert & Response

One worry children have for their aging parents is leaving them in a home all alone where they could easily fall and no one is around to help them. Personal safety alarms are a great purchase as they can be worn around their neck and with a push of a button it will dial for emergency responders to come and help.
http://www.caregiverpartnership.com/landing/ears/. This alarm will work perfectly for seniors living at home all alone.

Sleeping
Many seniors fall out of bed at night, and it can be difficult to get in and out of bed. To help with these problems, purchase a bed rail that helps you get in and out of bed using support bars. If you are worried about tossing during the night and rolling out of bed, a restraint vest will keep you safe and secure in your bed.  You can also continue browsing the site where you can find the restraint vest and other safety devices that will make it easier for you to sleep safely in your own bed.

Furniture risers are another wonderful device that will make your bed a little bit taller, making it easier to get in and out of. You can also use them for your chairs and recliners so you don’t have to push as hard with your legs and arms to get out of the seated position.

Dressing yourself
Dressing yourself can be frustrating for many seniors as they can’t pull and bend over to pull up their socks. A dressing stick is a great way to dress yourself more easily, and you don’t have to worry about bending over or pulling hard to get your clothes on. Tools for assistance in dressing. 

Hopefully these tools will make it easier for you to maneuver around your home so you can continue living at home for as long as possible.


About The CareGiver Partnership. The CareGiver Partnership helps caregivers and their loved ones with answers to their caregiving questions, including information about home health care products and supplies, from our Wisconsin-based team of Product Specialists who are all current or former caregivers. The company’s Web site provides the largest online library of resources on subjects most important to caregivers — from arthritis to assisted living, and Parkinson’s to prostate cancer — as well as access to more than 3,000 home care products for incontinence, skin care, mobility, home safety and daily living aids. The CareGiver Partnership was founded in 2004 by Lynn Wilson of Neenah, Wisc. Visit http://www.caregiverpartnership.com to learn more or call 1-800-985-1353.