Knowing that your ageing loved one is safe, happy and cared for provides the peace of mind you need, especially when they take the decision to remain in their own home.

However, sometimes senior family members tend to remain secretive, which can make it difficult to know their specific personal needs.

Moving them to an unfamiliar environment, like an assisted old age facility or a nursing home can further aggravate problems, rather than solve them 

With the availability of a range of personal care services, it is more practical and beneficial granting an elderly loved one the highest quality of care in a safe and comfortable environment in the familiar surroundings of their home to ensure they get the best care they want and need.

Here are three special personal care strategies you can employ to meet the needs of your elderly loved ones in the security of their homes.

Provide companion care

Seniors, especially those living alone, can be prone to frequent feelings of loneliness and isolation. Providing them with a trained caregiver to give companion care will ensure that older adults can get that much-needed attention and access to a rich social life.

Apart from keeping your loved ones occupied and engaged, a companion caregiver can also help doing odd jobs like medication reminders, help with transportation, doctor appointments, preparing meals as well as light household chores.

Make your home senior safe

Falls are the leading cause of injuries among the elderly and the top locations this happens is at home. The main cause is environmental hazards that can compromise gait and balance. Besides this, vision issues, which are common in elderly individuals, can also lead to accidents.

Continuous tipping and falling can lead to debilitating consequences, especially fracture around the hip area, which can disrupt daily activities, especially for those suffering from arthritis or osteopenia.

What a younger and fit person finds easy to negotiate can pose a challenge to an older member of the family. So it is crucial to evaluate home hazards from the elderly point of view by taking proactive measures. These could include:

• Adequate lighting 
• Decluttering 
• Anti-slip bathroom and toilets 
• Chairs and beds at comfortable height 
• Appropriate footwear 

Ensure regular checkups

In order to maintain health and prevent further complications, regular checkups and screenings to detect common ailments like blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes or breast cancer can be of great help.

If seniors have existing chronic ailments, follow up is all the more necessary to mitigate and prevent the impact of exacerbations and complications.

Checkups should also include visits to the dentist, eye specialist and physio for tests for dental, vision and bone density. In particular, good dental health will ensure better appetite and the most efficient eyewear will ensure fall and tripping prevention. A bone density test will assess bone health to prevent osteoporosis and fractures, especially among elderly women.

As a caregiver you can also help with:

• Establishing a schedule 
• Accompany them for checkups 
• Encourage activity involvement