4 Things Every Senior’s Bedroom Should Have

When your senior loved one decides that they want to age at home it might be necessary to make some changes to their home. In-home care is a great way to make sure that your loved one isn’t left alone, but even with in-home care there are changes you can make to improve the home.  

One of the rooms that will probably need some upgrading is the bedroom. Seniors often have falls in the bedroom when they try to get in and out of bed or when they are trying to get use the bathroom. Moving around the bedroom at night can be dangerous for a senior. So can navigating a lot of stairs. The most recommended items that seniors should have in their bedrooms are:

Wall To Wall Carpeting

In-Home Care Northbrook, IL: Seniors and Bedroom Safety

 In-Home Care Northbrook, IL: Seniors and Bedroom Safety

Area rugs are one of the most common reasons that seniors fall. Tripping over an area rug can lead to a dangerous or even deadly fall for a senior. Get rid of area rugs and have wall to wall carpeting put in. The carpeting will serve as a safe place to land if your senior parent does fall. And the carpeting will provide insulation so that the floor isn’t cold in the winter or too hard on your senior loved one’s feet. If there is wall to wall carpet in the bedroom already have it professionally cleaned or replaced so that it will last for years to come. 

Motion Activated Lights

Motion sensing lights can be extremely helpful for seniors. Instead of having to fumble for a light switch that they might not be able to operate if they have poor grip strength or if they have arthritis the lights will go on automatically for them when they get out of bed. This also eliminates the need for your senior loved one to walk in the dark trying to find the light switch. It’s also a good idea to install motion activated lights at ground level along the walls or the path to the bathroom. That way if your senior loved one gets out of bed to use the bathroom the path will automatically light up for them and they won’t have to struggle to turn on bright overhead lights. 

Bed Rails

Your senior loved one may not need rails on their bed yet, but they probably eventually will and it won’t hurt to put them now. Bed rails give your senior loved one something stable they can grab onto so that they can pull themselves up from a lying down position to a sitting position. This will make it easier for them to get out of bed or ease themselves down into bed. 

A Voice Activated Assistant

With a voice activated home speaker assistant your senior loved one will be able to summon help using just their voice if they need it. They can also control the lights, thermostat, and other household operations using their voice if you install smart lights and other smart home technologies.

If you or an aging loved one are considering In-Home Care Northbrook, IL, contact the caring staff at Companion Services of America today at (847) 943-3786. Our home care service area includes Northbrook, Highland Park, Deerfield, Glenview, Buffalo Grove, Evanston, Des Plaines, Skokie, Lake Forest, Wilmette and the surrounding areas.

Jamie Shapiro