Taking Care of Our Elderly Parents

The year before I retired, my 90 year old mother had a small stroke, recovered fairly well but now requires some extra care.  Through trial and error, I have found that there are many ways to improve the quality of life for those who may have some physical or mental difficulties related to illness and aging.

Safety always comes first.  The Jitterbug cell phone which has large buttons and direct access to an emergency operator is a great tool if it is carried at all times and recharged regularly.  In my mother's case, we found the "I've fallen & I can't get up" pendant (hers has a motion sensor to detect falls) the best for her needs.  Yes, it does work, I've been called.

When my mother went home from rehab, her little apartment in New York turned into Grand Central station.  There were home health aides, nurses, a social worker, OT, PT, well you get the picture.  I tried leaving a notebook for communication but no one used it.  Went off to the dollar store and purchased a small white board.  Everyone can see & use it for any info that needs to be passed along.

My mother had some confusion when she returned home especially about what day of the week it was.  I found a geriatric clock on Amazon.  Stands like a picture frame (8"by10") and shows the time the date and the day of the week.  It can be viewed from across the room. Amazon again came to the rescue when her elevated toilet seat proved to be too high and I was able to order a 2 inch high one (they run 2" to 5" high).

After my mother was going out daily, she complained that all her friends had walkers with seats and hers was just a walking walker.  Well mom, if your friends told you to jump off the Brooklyn bridge, would you?  A walker with a seat is great for long walks, always a place to sit & rest and room under the seat for small packages.

If someone has poor vision, geriatric remotes are available from many cable companies.  Also reader's Digest is one of the few magazines that come in large print.  Another item that is helpful is a 7 day pillbox but check that it can be easily opened (I opened them all at the pharmacy in Danbury Hospital).

To sum it up, there are many things available to assist our elderly to have a safe and happy life.  Sometimes you just have to think outside the box.