This is a well known slogan that I think about often as I’m driving or riding my bike. There are a lot of distractions all around us, especially with technology in our vehicles and electronic signs which are brighter and more prominent than ever before. There are also the distractions of everything going on in our lives and in our community and the world in general. These distractions could easily cause an accident ranging from a minor scratch to a fatality. I remind myself that my main focus while driving or riding is safety for me and for other motorists.

Whenever I meet or talk with our senior clients, or their family members, safety is also one of the most important considerations we discuss. Usually our clients and their family understand the safety issues or concerns and together work to find good solutions to maximize their safety. However, oftentimes there’s a difference between our clients perception or acceptance of their safety risks and their families’ perception. This difference can lead to conflict which can be difficult at times to resolve. It takes a lot of patience and some education on what those risks are and the consequences of a safety event.

Some of the safety concerns we identify during our discussions and more so during our assessments are:

Safety in the home: throw rugs, poor lighting, tight spaces, clutter, oxygen cords, pets, slippery surfaces
Physical ability: poor ambulation, poor eyesight, poor hearing, weakness, shakiness, poor hygiene, foot problems, dizziness
Mental ability: medication management, wandering, sharing sensitive information with strangers, proper nourishment, exploitation from family and friends, mental breakdowns

There are of course many other safety concerns, but these are some of the most common. When seniors are in denial of some of these concerns, it can put them at significant risk to a major incident. Some of the consequences of these incidents often is the inability to live independently in their homes. According to the CDC one in three adults 65 and older fall every year and 20-30% of those who fall suffer injuries that make it hard to get around, live alone and increase the risk of early death. For someone 80yrs are older the statistics are almost 3 times as high!

We can address all of the safety issues listed above and more. During our assessment we assess our client’s physical, mental and emotion ability and we do a safety check on the home. This helps us with identifying any concerns and addressing them through our care plan and or by recommending safety equipment or other environment changes. We can also recommend how much care and frequency of care might be needed. It’s then up to our clients and or their families to decide how much of our assistance they would like. In home care truly provides the assistance people need to stay healthy and safely in their homes.

We provide these services to all of our clients in the Treasure Valley which includes Boise, Meridian, Nampa, Eagle, Caldwell, Star, Kuna, Emmett, Parma, Mountain Home, Fruitland, Notus, Middleton and other nearby cities.