Happy Memories or Household Hazards?
June is National Home Safety Month, and local senior care experts are encouraging families to take the opportunity to help aging loved ones clear potentially dangerous clutter from their homes.
“A lifetime accumulation of possessions combined with an influx of daily junk mail, bills, newspapers and magazines can quickly overwhelm seniors who are struggling physically, mentally or emotionally,” said Andrew Garrean, owner of the local Home Instead Senior Care franchise office serving the Tulsa area.
Experts say even seniors who simply don’t know how to part with their possessions are vulnerable. The risks are many from slipping on loose papers to the threat of fire to the health effects of mold and mildew. Clutter can also interfere with family relationships and leave adult children wondering if the only inheritance awaiting them is a big mess.
“National Home Safety Month presents a great opportunity for family caregivers to help seniors de-clutter for their own health and well-being,” Garrean said.
In order to identify potential trouble, the Home Instead Senior Care network is alerting family caregivers to watch for the signs in a senior’s home that indicate clutter creep could become a problem including piles of mail and unpaid bills, difficulty walking safely through a home and frustration on the part of a senior trying to organize.
“Family caregivers can become just as overwhelmed as seniors,” said Home Instead Senior Care’s Garrean. “We suggest a three-step plan where the family caregiver brings three bins — one for the stuff the senior wants to keep, one for donations and the other for trash. Sometimes seniors just need a little help.”
ABOUT HOME INSTEAD SENIOR CARE
Founded in 1994, the Home Instead Senior Care® network is the world’s largest provider of non-medical in-home care services for seniors, with more than 875 independently owned and operated franchises in 15 countries and 16 markets, spanning four continents. Home Instead Senior Care local offices employ 65,000+ CAREGivers who provide more than 40 million hours of client service each year through activities including companionship, meal preparation, medication reminders, light housekeeping, errands and shopping. Home Instead Senior Care founders Paul and Lori Hogan pioneered franchising in the non-medical senior care industry and are leading advocates for senior issues in America. At Home Instead Senior Care, it’s relationship before task, while continuing to provide superior quality service that enhances the lives of seniors everywhere.
Updated 06-02-2010
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