Can you still picture out your parents doing their best thing in the kitchen when you were younger? Our parents always have it in them to prepare only the stomach-filling foods for their loved ones. They can take this attitude even to the aging years so that even when you’re already grown up, they would still find a way to care and serve you with food.
So don’t be surprised that the kitchen will be one of the places that your aging parent will frequently be in. To help ensure their safety in this area at home, here are tips we can recommend as your partners in providing home care services in Springfield, Virginia.
- Maintain the cleanliness of the floor area
Keep it free from clutters or other furniture that may obstruct their way. When they can safely navigate around the kitchen area, they can be safe from fall incidents.
- Light up the working areas with bright lamps
Your aging parent may already have declining vision, which is part of their aging years. With a well-lighted area, they can see the way they’re passing or the things they’re doing, helping them to stay away from possible triggers of accidents.
- Keep sharp objects in their proper storage areas
This can be an ideal preventive step when your senior loved one acquires dementia or mental illness. They might forget the purpose of knives and may end up hurting themselves or others at home.
- Label the stove especially for the on/off positions of the knobs
Their visual difficulty may make it hard for them to determine which side the knob should be turned. Their cooking or their skin can be compromised if they can turn the stove knob wrongly.
- When there are heavier items in the kitchen, put them in areas that your loved one can reach at waist level
Don’t put them too high or low for their reach as they may slip or get imbalanced from reaching, and it results to a fall.
- You can also use kitchen utensils that have automatic turn-off capacity so that they will not worry about forgetting them
A provider of personal care services in Virginia can also be there with your aging loved one to ensure that their devices are well-functioning in the kitchen.
- Let them wear comfortable clothing but not too loose especially if they’re cooking using the stove
Their clothes may catch fire, and this is not very healthy and safe for their age.
- Check also the food contents in the storage area or refrigerators
Ensure that the food supplies have not expired yet. Remove food supplies that are no longer up-to-date so that your loved one can only eat fresh and healthy supplies.
At AA Family Homecare Services Inc., we encourage you to implement all the safety precautions you can provide for your aging loved one at home. Inquire about this service or about our quality respite care services.
