How can I keep my loved ones safe?

By Amy Goyer

Keeping our loved ones safe is a top priority for family caregivers, and it can be a source of major stress. We help prevent accidents and falls. We set up safety measures to keep them from getting lost. We try to keep them safe on the road if they are driving. Keeping loved ones safe is about “risk management,” and you can take many steps to prevent a crisis.

Home Safety and Fall Prevention

Start by evaluating the home environment. A physical therapist, occupational therapist, certified aging-in-place specialist, geriatric care manager, or aging life care expert can assist by going through the home with you and making a list of things to be addressed, and possible solutions. Look for ways to adapt the home to support your loved ones being as independent as possible. Consider these steps for fall prevention:

  • Strength and balance: Your loved ones’ strength and balance are critical in fall prevention, so set up an exercise routine and explore Tai Chi, Pilates, Yoga, and other approaches that help build balance.
  • Tripping Hazards: Remove throw rugs or firmly secure them with tacks, double-sided tape, or a nonslip gripper pad. Clear clutter and create clear paths for all the areas where your loved ones will be walking. Tuck away extension cords. If there are pets in the home, place feeding bowls on nonslip mats and tuck them away out of the walking path. Improve lighting in all areas of the home, especially in stairways, outdoor paths, and doorways. Ensure stairs have railings on both sides, and consider moving the bedroom, bathroom, and laundry to one floor to avoid stairs altogether. Examine slippers and shoes to make sure they fit well, are non-slip, and don’t catch on the carpet. Shorten robes, nightgowns, and pants so they don’t drag on the ground when walking. Use chairs with arms to ease sitting down and getting up. Outside, rake leaves, clear snow and ice, and trim overgrown shrubbery around all pathways.
  • Bathroom safety: Install grab bars, a raised toilet seat with handles, and a shower chair. If possible, have your loved ones use a curbless shower without a tub so they can walk into the shower. Place extra toilet paper within reach. Make sure they can easily call for help if they have trouble in the bathroom.
  • Mobility devices: With the help of a physical or occupational therapist, ensure your loved ones are using their canes, walkers, and wheelchairs correctly.
  • Monitors and alerts: Arrange for your loved ones to have a medical alert or personal emergency response system (PERS) so they can call for help if they fall. If you know your loved ones are at high risk for falling, make sure someone is always with them. You can also order inexpensive call buttons designed for caregivers so your loved ones can push a button and you will be alerted that they need assistance. For my mom, who had Aphasia and other challenges because of a stroke, I also used a bed pad and seat pad alarm, as well as one that clipped to her nightgown and notified me when she was getting up. I also had a motion sensor alarm in the hall, a video camera, and a floor mat alarm for Dad, who had Alzheimer’s.

Driving

If your loved ones are driving, be sure to ride along with them so you can see firsthand if there are safety problems. Watch for increasing dents and dings on the car, or traffic tickets. Observe judgment, reaction time, vision, and hearing on the road. If you have concerns, suggest they take a course to brush up on their driving skills. An occupational therapist can also help evaluate the car to make sure the seat is adjusted correctly, and the car fits them appropriately. If you believe they should stop driving, prepare for a conversation by looking into alternative transportation options first, so you can share a plan for them to get where they need to go when they need to go there if they hang up the keys. For some people, it’s helpful to involve their doctor in a conversation about driving and safety.

Getting Lost

For people caring for someone with dementia, the greatest fear is that their loved ones will get lost. To help lower the risk of getting lost and/or getting hurt, I recommend having more than one safeguard in place to better manage risks and give you more peace of mind.

  • Alarms – Place alarms on all entrances/exits to the home so you are notified if the door is opened. You can use a simple stick-on door alarm bought at the hardware store or an alarm provided by a security company. A floor mat alarm is another easy way to take care of this (and they can be placed in multiple places throughout the house).
  • Cameras – Place cameras in strategic places, like outside the door via a video doorbell, and at the driveway. Set up notifications so you get an alert on your phone if there is movement outside.
  • Doorways – Consider door-lever safety locks or safety covers that go on doorknobs making them a bit more complicated to open, but not so complicated you can’t get out in an emergency. Some people have luck with covering the door with a poster that looks like a brick wall, a bookcase, or a painted wall, thus making it harder for someone with cognitive disabilities to recognize it as a door.
  • Identification – Give your loved ones simple ID bracelets with their names, your phone number, and other pertinent medical information. Place an information card in their wallet and set up their smartphone so it names you as an emergency contact.
  • GPS – A medical alert or personal emergency response system (PERS) that has built-in GPS tracking and works outside the home could help you find your loved ones if they get lost. Likewise, a tracking app, such as Find My Device, Family 360, or Glympse for Auto, can be installed on a smartphone. There are also devices you can attach to a car in case your loved ones drive away and get lost. Small GPS trackers can be placed in wallets, keys, or pockets.

Resources

Amy Goyer is a nationally known caregiving expert and author of Juggling Life, Work, and Caregiving. A passionate champion for caregivers, she has also been one her entire adult life, caring for her grandparents, parents, sister, and others. Connect with Amy on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.</em