La Jolla Senior Care News

Making Your Nighttime Elder Care Safer

Elder Care in La Costa CA

Elder Care in La Costa CA

Elder Care in La Costa CAMany seniors begin their elder care journeys only needing a small amount of assistance throughout the day or even help just a few days a week, but then their needs progress. This can result in them having challenges and limitations that can make it less safe for them to be in their home alone at night. Issues such as fall hazards, wandering tendencies, and low vision can put your aging loved one in a difficult situation at night, possibly putting him at risk of serious injury. Taking steps to improve your elder care efforts to address the increased needs of nighttime care can help you to feel more confident in his safety.

Consider these tips to help you make your nighttime elder care safer and more effective:

  • Increase lighting. Low vision is a common issue among elderly adults and this problem is only exacerbated by low lighting conditions. Not having enough light can make it difficult for your parent to see objects in his path, to navigate his way around the home, or to differentiate between shadows and solid objects. This not only increases the chance of falls and other serious injuries, but it also creates a sense of anxiety and reduces your parent’s confidence that he can move about his home safely. Help to alleviate this by adding more nighttime lighting to the home. This can include nightlights that come on in the dark or in response to movement, recessed lighting with a dimmer, or even glowing light switches.
  • Create easy passage. Low lighting and sleepiness can combine to make moving through the home to go to the restroom or get a glass of water much more difficult at night. Make this process easier for your aging parent by creating easy passage through the home for him. Shut doors to other rooms and leave the bathroom door open with a nightlight inside to light the way. Remove obstacles from his bedroom, the hallway, and any other rooms he might need to pass through. Consider adding strips of glow in the dark tape or paint to the bottom of the walls to create a subtle glowing path to help guide his way.
  • Create security. Night is a common time for seniors with wandering tendencies to start to roam. Whether it is confusion, sundowners, or anxiety that causes it, wandering can create an extremely dangerous situation for your loved one very quickly. Help to protect him by establishing a strong security approach in the home. Install extra locks on the doors and windows, particularly ones high on the door or at floor level so that they are not as easily noticed and manipulated. Add an alarm system to create an alert if your loved one tries to open a window or door.
  • Hire help. If your parent’s increased needs are making you concerned for his health or safety, do not deal with the risk. Hire a caregiver who can be in the home awake and alert throughout the night to monitor your parent’s movement and provide assistance if necessary.

La Jolla Nurses Homecare can help your aging parents remain in their own homes, call 858-454-9339. We are a home care agency providing quality and affordable senior care in La Costa, CA, and the surrounding communities."}” data-sheets-userformat=”{"2":767,"3":[null,0],"4":[null,2,10667209],"5":{"1":[{"1":2,"2":0,"5":[null,2,0]},{"1":0,"2":0,"3":3},{"1":1,"2":0,"4":1}]},"6":{"1":[{"1":2,"2":0,"5":[null,2,0]},{"1":0,"2":0,"3":3},{"1":1,"2":0,"4":1}]},"7":{"1":[{"1":2,"2":0,"5":[null,2,0]},{"1":0,"2":0,"3":3},{"1":1,"2":0,"4":1}]},"8":{"1":[{"1":2,"2":0,"5":[null,2,0]},{"1":0,"2":0,"3":3},{"1":1,"2":0,"4":1}]},"9":2,"10":2,"12":0}”>For more information about how the caregivers at La Jolla Nurses Homecare can help your aging parents remain in their own homes, call 858-454-9339. We are a home care agency providing quality and affordable elder care in La Costa, CA, and the surrounding communities.

Brittnei Salerno

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