SAFETY FOR ELDERLY (to avoid them to be hospitalized)
@crystalgay032003 (64)
Philippines
July 3, 2008 8:37pm CST
Safety for the elderly is always a prime concern. As their activity level changes, so do those things that are not considered safe. A situation that at one time was considered safe may, as a person ages, become a hazard. Poor eyesight, decreased reflexes and poor hearing all contribute to accidents. In addition, may elderly attempt tasks they cannot execute and, thus, themselves harm. in an effort to be independent, a client may take unnecessary risks.
As people age, their ability to sense and react to hot water is decreased. Many elderly are severly burned each year because they cannot feel that water is too hot. Teach your client to test his washing and bathing water before he uses it. If hot water has been run through a faucet, the faucet itself may be hot enough to cause burns should someone touch it. Briefly running cold water through the faucet after the hot water, will cool the metal and prevent such burns.
It is easier to prevent accidents than it is to heal. People who fall and break bones may take several months to heal and then may never regain full use of the limbs again. The elderly heal slower than younger, so the prevention of falls for elderly is even more important than for younger patients. Safety remains one of your primary responsibilities as a homemaker/home health aide/Caregiver.
1 person likes this
2 responses
@lilaclady (28207)
• Australia
4 Jul 08
Thats very good advice there, a lot of people as they get older fight the need for aids and such, I know my elderly neighbour arued that she didn't need railings at her front steps, she thought it made her house look ugly, 10 years down the track it is now the best thing she ever had done to her house....
@jpso138 (7851)
• Philippines
6 Jul 08
You are definitely right out there. The erderly is of greater risk when they suffer accidents or injury since their bones are not as strong as a young person. Moreover, when infection sets in, they also have lesser resistance as compared to young individuals. Thus it is very important that they should be safe and monitoring them is the best to do. Thank you very much for this very important information.