March 1, 2024
Did you know that the kitchen may be one of the most dangerous rooms in the entire house? We don’t think about safety for ourselves when we’re younger, at least not the way we should. But when it comes to aging, the hazards increase. Seniors may struggle with less strength in their legs, health challenges, and much more. Home care is a great way to help seniors stay safer at home. Having somebody with experience, somebody there at the same time and schedule each week, will allow the senior to wait on certain tasks until support is available.
When we talk about safety and home care, we have a tendency to get caught up in generalities. Let’s look at different ways that a professional, experienced home care aide can help improve safety for a senior at home, especially when they are in the kitchen.
How many times have we heard this cliché: an elderly person put something on the stove to cook, walked away, completely forgot about it, and a fire started. It happens more often than you may think. It doesn’t just happen to seniors, though, because it can happen to any of us at any time.
However, the older a person is, the more likely they may have memory related challenges. This is especially true if the senior has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or another type of dementia. With a home care provider supporting the senior, when he or she is preparing a meal, then somebody is there to help keep track of the time, things that are cooking, and that can improve safety immediately.
When water gets on linoleum or ceramic tile, it can become quite slick. An aging senior might not see it. This is especially true if he or she has vision related problems or some vision loss.
If a home care aide is there and walks into the kitchen and notices water on the floor, he or she is more likely to mop it up, dry it off, and make sure it is safe for the senior when he or she is going to get up and do something in that room.
It’s best to keep as many things as possible within reach for an aging senior, but that may not be practical all the time. Instead of a person in their late 70s or 80s dragging the kitchen chair over to the cabinet to get a cooking utensil down, home care can help them get the proper stepladder and may even be able to retrieve the item for them. This will improve safety immediately.
This means sharp knives are put away. It also means that knives are sharpened properly. Did you know that the bulk of kitchen related lacerations are the result of dull knives and not sharp ones? That’s because when a knife is too dull, it requires more force to cut through meat and vegetables. If it slips, it’s still going to cause a serious laceration for the senior.
These are just a few ways that home care can make a difference when it comes to safety in the kitchen for aging seniors.
If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring Home Care in Pittsburgh, PA, please contact the caring staff at In-Home Quality Care today. Serving the Greater Pittsburgh Area since 1990! Call 412-421-5202
