Leslie Newlife

Put Safety First: Renovation Ideas for a Senior-friendly Home

While some seniors choose to stay in senior living communities, most prefer to live in their own homes. They believe this is a better choice because it allows them to be as independent as possible and feel much more comfortable. But most homes aren’t designed to fit older people’s needs. Therefore, it’s imperative to make the necessary modifications and create a senior-friendly home that enhances safety.

As people age, the risk of slip-and-fall accidents increases, so it’s essential to eliminate any potential hazards. Home renovations are indeed a significant investment, but in the long term, they are more affordable than staying at a nursing home. In this article, we’ll look at different senior-friendly upgrades to make your home as comfortable and safe as possible.

Remove obstacles

You may find it difficult to let go of some items in your home, but they can quickly pile up, creating an unsightly look. Having clutter in your living space increases the risk of tripping hazards. Therefore, before making any significant improvements, start with eliminating clutter.

Arrange your home in a free-flowing and elegant layout to ensure there’s good traffic flow. You should also organize loose cables and cords, so they don’t become a potential hazard. You can attach them to walls with clips or place them behind your furniture.

Enhance visibility

When your home is well-lit, safety is no longer a concern. As you age, your eyesight starts failing; consequently, a dark room can lead to bumps and falls. To avoid this, it’s essential to ensure that there’s enough lighting across your home in areas like the entryway, staircase, hallway, and rooms.

During the day, ensure natural light can get into your home. If it is lacking, you can get creative and add reflective mirrors or skylights, for example. Or, if this is possible, you can enlarge the windows. Another alternative is to add lighter window treatments. You can contact an electrician to make the necessary modifications like adding good ambient lighting, strip lights across your staircase and motion sensor lights.

Make your entryway accessible

Your home’s entryway is a high-traffic area, so it’s critical to increase ease of movement. When you’re at home, you’ll need to go out and bask or simply take a walk. Even if big houses have different entryways, the main entrance is common in all living spaces.

A practical idea is to install a ramp at your home’s main entrance to protect yourself from falls as you walk in and out. This modification is especially ideal for seniors using a wheelchair, stroller or wheeled luggage.

Update the flooring

Regardless of your age, the bathroom is a high-risk area in homes and can be especially hazardous for seniors. Younger people have more balance, so they can hold themselves if they slip. While they may only sprain an ankle, the health implications can be more severe for seniors, as they could hurt their spines, leading to further complications.

Different anti-flooring solutions are available, such as bamboo, vinyl, or ceramic tiles. Another idea is to add non-slip pads in your bathroom to enhance safety. Supposing the flooring was warped, you should repair or replace uneven spots or visible damages that can lead to tripping hazards.

Choose senior-friendly hardware

Household fixtures such as cabinets, drawers and door knobs look very stylish. For most homeowners, keeping up with the trends is essential, and they try to make their homes modern and timeless. For instance, oak kitchens have come back in style even if no one expected it, and homeowners are looking for practical ways to bring this design into their homes. However, for seniors, the most important thing is safety and being able to do things independently.

Therefore, fixtures that require twisting, pinching or pulling aren’t suitable for seniors. Supposing your home has such fixtures, you can opt for lever-style knobs instead to reduce the difficulty of using them. Another smart upgrade is installing touchless faucets – you just have to place your hand under the spout when you want the water flow to start and take your hand away to stop it.  

Modernize your furniture

There are several things you need to consider when purchasing furniture, such as sturdiness, comfort, safety and functionality. Wobbly furniture is an option you should avoid because it won’t support your weight; thus, you’ll be at risk of sliding and falling. Rather than conventional sharp-edged furniture, you should opt for a round corner one, as it reduces the chances of bumping into it and bruising yourself.

Your bed should also provide safety; thus, you should adjust its height so that it can protect you from getting hurt. One way to do this is to ensure your feet lay flat on the floor as you are seated on your bed. For extra support and stability, you can add bed rails to this piece of furniture. Consider placing a nightlight or a flashlight by your bedside. This will help ease movement, especially when you need to use the bathroom at night.

Invest in assistive technology

Technology makes your life easier in multiple ways. Whatever area in your life, these technological tools are designed for different purposes that can benefit you significantly. This is also true when it comes to creating a senior-friendly home. Smart appliances can help you increase security and safety in your living space, and they revolve around medical emergency systems, door locks, appliances, fire detectors, etc.

What’s more, they can send alerts to your phone, and you can operate and modify them. You may need to pay a monthly maintenance fee for these smart appliances, but the charges are affordable and reasonable. Plus, it’s worth making this investment, considering the benefits it can bring in the long run.

The bottom line

Safety is the most important thing in a home for seniors. Therefore, it’s essential to take a look at your current home and make the necessary adjustments to ensure you are protected and can live as comfortably as possible. These simple yet practical ideas will help you design a senior-friendly home that accommodates your needs.

Start Planning for Your Golden Years Today

Planning for their retirement is something a lot of people don’t do, especially if they’re still working. However, it doesn’t have to be that way anymore. Planning for your retirement needs is one of the most important things you can do to enjoy your golden years. You deserve to live your life on your terms without being dependent on anyone. Here are a few ways you can start planning for your retirement

Invest Wisely

The first step is to invest wisely. This is the best way to build your savings and prepare for income that will sustain you well into your golden years. The smartest thing to do is find the best gold IRA companies and invest in them. This will give you the returns you’re hoping for.

Start Small and Build Up Gradually

If you’re just starting to save for retirement, it’s important to remember that it will not happen overnight. The first few years of saving are going to be the hardest. It’ll take time to build up your nest egg and see results. That’s why it’s so important to start small. You should ensure you’re building up as much money as possible in the shortest amount of time possible.

The Earlier You Start Saving, the Better

If you want to make sure that your retirement years are comfortable, it’s important to start planning for your future now. The earlier you start saving, the better. Studies show that people who started saving for retirement at the age of 25 had a 90% chance of success compared to 25% for those who waited until age 40.

Pay Off as Much Debt as Possible

There are so many reasons to pay off your debt. For starters, it will help you save money. As you pay off your debts, you’ll have more money available to invest in your retirement plans and other things that will help you reach your goals.

Another reason to pay off your debts as soon as possible is that it helps build your financial independence. When you have less debt and more money saved up for retirement or other goals, you’re free to pursue anything else you want in life right now.

Finally, there’s the fact that paying off all of your debts will make life much easier for yourself and others around you. When someone has all their bills paid up early, they never have to worry about late fees or missed payments again.

Cut Back on Unnecessary Expenses

When you cut back on unnecessary expenses and start planning for retirement, you’re investing in yourself. You’ll be able to live more comfortably, which means you’ll be able to spend more time with family and friends and do things that make you happy.

Plus, when it comes time for your retirement fund, those extra savings can go a long way! By starting now, you’ll have a better chance at living the retirement life you envisioned.

Conclusion

Planning financially for your retirement should be approached with the same forethought and ardor as you would a detailed business plan. It would be naive to assume that you could continue to receive the same level of income you are earning now. No matter how financially successful an individual is, chances are they have experienced some economic hiccups in their lifetime.

A prudent financial plan starts with a realistic assessment of what real retirement savings will look like. To derive that number, a person must first understand the extent to which market forces impact their situation. We hope these tips can help start your planning today.

Factors to Consider When Buying a Casket Online

A casket becomes one of the necessary and pricey items on the list when organizing a typical full-service funeral for your loved one. Understandably, making funeral preparations may be a difficult process, and Omega Funeral Home can help make the process of honoring your loved one easier. However, without doing your homework, you could not discover the ideal casket and risk exceeding your budget.

A proper casket for a loved one is among the most significant funeral purchases you should make. Today’s marketplace offers a variety of casket kinds and designs. In addition, online stores are among the greatest sites to buy caskets of exceptional quality and original design.

Choose the Proper Material and Color
When buying a casket online, you have various color and material choices, such as gold caskets. Consider what color and substance you would prefer for a friend or member of your family who has passed away before making a decision. The sort of material or color the deceased individual preferred while living could provide an excellent criterion for your selection. In addition, the appearance and feel of any certain casket material that you individually favor might also be a decisive element.

Cost
The materials used to create the casket, the style of the casket, the design, your location, and where you’re buying it are a few of the variables that will affect how much the typical casket will cost. A casket often costs over $2,000, making it a very pricey investment for most families. These caskets typically start at roughly $1,200 if you’re considering buying one only for cremation. However, there are many other pricing points available if you shop around. Low-end caskets for sale may cost you more than $10,000, or you can buy a straightforward casket online for less than $500.

Unique Qualities
In addition to the adjustments, unique features can be added. These choices allow you to customize it further. For example, to preserve the memory of the deceased, they add touching details. In addition, you might decide to install tools that will lift the deceased when they are seen. There are two ways the lid opens up for viewing. Either a single sofa or a double couch are options. In addition, the lid can be completely opened for viewing with only one couch. A memory tube might make identifying a casket easier. In the event of an accident following incarceration, it enables simple identification.

Criteria for Cemeteries
Some cemeteries have regulations stating that caskets must be enclosed in concrete vaults. Because of the weight of the ground, caskets decay with time. The weight may also increase due to the use of large equipment to dig graves. The ground becomes uneven as a result. Therefore, grave vaults are needed to keep the graves from collapsing. The weight of the ground can be supported by caskets positioned on these sturdy foundations. Inquire about the particular regulations for vaults at your cemetery. However, some green cemeteries may not require these conditions.

Don’t Ignore Reviews
When buying a casket online, it’s crucial to remember that the item should have an excellent evaluation. The sort of casket you buy is of great quality if it has positive ratings. It will assure you that you are providing for your loved one, who you will never see again, in the greatest possible way. Online casket merchants can assist you even in a virtual environment. Such a decision might feel devastating since it is irreversible. Even with planning, facing the idea of burying a loved one or oneself is difficult. Take your time while looking for caskets for sale online to avoid the burden of having to choose from a funeral home’s small selection. It can reduce the strain, broaden your possibilities, and provide an economical solution.

Tips for Baby Boomers to Go Back to School

Today, more and more adults are going back to college. You don’t have to be a kid to get caught up in the excitement of the start of a new school year. As more technology and online courses are being developed, it is now easier than ever to get back to school as an adult. There are a few ways to make the transition easier.

Consider the Financial Side of Things

When you are getting your degree, you’ll want to spend some time looking at financial aid options. Students can qualify for various types of aid, no matter their age. One option is to search for scholarships you might be eligible for. There are Going Merry scholarships for college available that can make your degree that much more affordable.

Communicate with Loved Ones

Baby Boomers are more likely than their younger counterparts to have kids, spouses, or other family members who depend on them financially or emotionally. Going back to school can be quite the adjustment for everyone in the family. That’s why it is so important to set clear expectations from the start of what it will look like for everyone. Take some time to explain to them the benefits of your going back to school. This can reduce tension that might come from your changing schedule.

Come Up with a Schedule

Keeping yourself organized can help both you and your loved ones. Everyone should know when you are working, sleeping, studying, and taking care of other tasks. That way, they will know when you have free time and family time. It can be stressful to add extra study time when your schedule is already busy, which is why planning out your schedule can help you relax. You won’t have to feel as stressed when you know you will have time to get everything done.

Choose a Major That Helps You Meet Your Goals

Younger people may have the luxury of spending a couple of years in school before deciding what they want to do with the rest of their lives. However, as an adult, you need to maintain active longevity but may not have that type of time. What you study is a big decision because it can be one of the biggest factors in how much you earn once you have finished your education. If you major in engineering or technology, you may have better earning potential than someone who studies arts or social work. Still, you don’t want to go with a major just because it has higher earning potential. If you do not have an aptitude for mathematics, for instance, a career in that field may not be the best choice for you. You can take online aptitude assessments and work with the school’s career center to find out which areas match your strengths the best.

Reduce Stress Over Assignments

If it has been a while since you were last a student, getting back into the swing of things can feel nerve-racking. But know that tests and assignments are designed to help you get to know the material better. As long as you remember what you have to do, you can succeed. The difference between taking courses as a young person and as a Baby Boomer is that you are taking the ones you want to this time around. They can help with long-term career growth.

Don’t Forget to Take Time for You

Adults going back to school are more likely than younger people to have other responsibilities, such as work and family, to juggle while getting their degree. Any major life change can increase your stress levels. Getting caught up in the additional responsibilities can cause you to put your self-care on the back burner. However, staying healthy is part of what will help you succeed. Make sure to set aside enough time each day to do something for you, whether it is a hobby you enjoy or just reading a good book.

Helping to Improve the Quality of Life for Seniors

No matter how old someone is, they need a sense of purpose to keep them going. A senior citizen may be retired and no longer have children left to raise, and not feeling like they have a purpose may harm their mental health. If you’re caring for a loved one, try to understand how they may feel and come up with a plan for helping these years be some of their best. 

Encourage Physical Activity

Seniors may have a certain routine they follow each day because it’s what gives them comfort. This may or may not include physical activity. Depending on their physical limitations, you may want to encourage incorporating exercise into their daily ritual. Some ideas include chair yoga, resistance bands, water aerobics, and body weight exercises. 

Walking is another form of exercise that can benefit them in numerous ways. It allows them to get out of the house and enjoy the fresh air. Walking can also help reduce pain, lower blood sugar, improve heart health, and improve mental health. Before encouraging physical activity, it’s a good idea to make sure they have the green light from their doctor first. 

Keep Them Involved 

Some seniors end up spending their elderly years feeling lonely and left out. Keeping them involved can help increase their sense of purpose while keeping them busy. Visit them often, but if you can’t do that, then try to pick up the phone and give them a call. Include them in what’s going on with their life so they don’t miss anything. If you’re expecting a baby, consider letting them be involved in your pregnancy and use a Chinese calendar baby gender 2022 to get a sneak peek at what gender the baby may be. 

Find Good In-Home Care 

There may be a time when it’s getting harder for them to live on their own and you may have to consider finding in-home care for them. Many seniors like their independence and the freedom to live their life the way they want to. If they still can live on their own, home health care can give them their freedom while offering the right amount of help. This will allow them to stay in the home that they feel the most comfortable in. 

Before looking into this type of care, it’s good to gauge what level of care they’d need such as determining if they need help bathing, if someone should do the grocery shopping and meal preparation for them, if they have a hard time remembering to take their medications, and if they need help with household chores. 

Provide Mental Stimulation 

The same daily routine can be boring, and it’s good to add some mental stimulation to their day. Help your loved ones find their passion and encourage them to pick up a couple of hobbies to keep their days full. Good mental stimulation will help keep their cognitive skills sharp. Some activities can include arts and crafts, jigsaw puzzles, board games, Sudoku, gardening, reading, and spending time outdoors. 

If they try an activity and don’t care for it, don’t force it. You can keep encouraging them to try different things so they can find what they like doing. 

Encourage Social Interaction 

Social interaction is crucial at any age, but it can improve the quality of life for a senior citizen. Certain factors may make it difficult for your elderly loved one to interact socially as much as they might have done in the past such as lack of transport options or physical limitations. Social isolation is a problem some elderly face, and it’s something that can be avoided. Visiting and communicating often is the key. If you’re not able to visit them, finding someone in their area to check on them and spend time with them can make all the difference in the world to them.

Life Hacks for Making Household Tasks Easier for Seniors

Seniors have done and experienced so much in their lives, and now they’ve earned the right to relax. They won’t be able to avoid some chores entirely, but this does not mean they can’t learn better ways to complete them.

Look over these life hacks for making household tasks easier for seniors and help improve your loved one’s way of life.

Place Reminders

Give seniors the tools to manage parts of their daily routine. Some things might slip their mind from time to time. Help them remember small and big tasks by placing reminders in a visible place.

Choose an area of the house they frequent most. Make a list on a whiteboard and update it daily with whatever tasks need completing.

Let Others Carry the Load

Seniors don’t need to manage everything by themselves. They shouldn’t. If you can outsource some tasks, then do that. Instead of having a senior going up and down stairs or bending over to do laundry, pass this task on to someone else.

Allow a professional laundry delivery service to pick up and drop off their clothes and linens for them. These experts will clean all their items with exceptional care and make their clothes and sheets feel brand new.

Round Out Sharp Furniture Edges

Nobody wants just to sit still all day, seniors included. Sometimes they still want to feel useful, and that’s okay. Moving around the house and getting things done can make them feel like their contributing.

But for everyone’s peace of mind, make sure the house is safe to move around. Counters, tables, and nightstands have sharp edges that cause injury. Smooth out these edges and corners by adding guards that mold into the edges and soften them.

Organize Medications

Sometimes incorporating technology to help remind seniors when to take their medication can cause more confusion than it’s worth. Rather than using an app, opt for a more straightforward method.

The calendar app on their phone might be too difficult to read. A physical calendar or a spreadsheet on the fridge can work better. Buy a pill organizer, too, so they know the correct quantity of pills to take and on which days.

Make your senior’s life easier by incorporating these life hack tasks into their daily routine.

Moving Parents Closer to Home: Tips on How to Navigate Moving Finances

Taking care of your family can be a difficult task, especially if your parents aren’t close to where you live. You may find that eventually there will be a time in your life when you need to take the next step and move your parents closer to home. A lot can go into a move and a transition like this, and in some cases it could be hard to get your parent(s) onboard with the decision.

Whether the move is cross country, a few hours away across the state, or just 30 minutes down the road, having a conversation and a game plan in place can help ease the moving process for everyone.

Have the Family Conversation

Before jumping ahead and planning out all the logistics, it’s smart to have the initial family conversation. Having this conversation for some may be hard and awkward at times. In the long run, having this talk to determine your parents’ plan for care as they get older can benefit both you, your siblings, child, and your parents.

This family conversation is crucial for understanding where your parent(s) stand on the situation and it allows you to see where their head’s at with where they see themselves as they transition to this next phase of their lives. Ask your parent(s) what they want and take into consideration their side of things. Then voice your ideas. This will give both sides the ability to share their thoughts, hopes and opinions on the situation.

Sometimes you may be on the same page, other times, there may be some gray area. If your parent(s) are on the fence about making the move, some points you may want to bring up to them would be:

  • Being closer to the greater family can ensure safety for them
  • It allows for more family time since they won’t be too far away
  • The move can permit easier assistance if they have medical issues
  • Downsizing to a new home can save money and ensure they are in a space that is easy to maneuver around and take care of as they get older

During this conversation, if you have siblings, it’s a good time to discuss who will take on the caregiver role.  Determine if you will all be hiring someone to come take care of your parents every now and then if needed. It may be helpful for everyone to hire someone to come in part time or full time to check-in on your parent(s) now and then. There are chances of caregiver burnout so hiring extra help is never a bad thing in most cases it just benefits everyone.

Once you come to a consensus of what is best for the family, stay organized and take notes and write down ideas and dates within a planner. Not only will it keep you and your family on track, but it will allow for everyone to be on the same page when it comes to what was discussed and decided on to ensure a flawless transition.

Consider Care

If during the conversation, you and your family have decided that extra care may be needed, it’s a good idea to look into various care options for your parent(s). Depending on the health of your parent(s), you’ll want to research different levels of care for them. Even if they aren’t ready for extra care, it’s still important to learn about options for the future.

If your parent(s) don’t need much care but are looking for more social interaction with those their age, an independent living situation may be best for them. If they are in need of some assistance when it comes to day-to-day activities you may want to think about an assisted living community so they can have help when needed.

Parent(s) who may have medical issues that may hinder their living situation and ability to be on their own, should potentially consider a nursing home as an alternative. If your parents have dementia, memory care is a great option. That way, you can still visit them but won’t have to worry about them being on their own and have a peace of mind knowing they are in good hands and being monitored.

Some people like having their family members in close quarters and have the ability and room to do just that! If that is you, it could be a good idea to create an in-law suite. You can work with them to really make it their own, whether that be you take them shopping for furniture and items to decorate the space or have them plan the layout with you. Get them involved so they feel that they have a say to make it their new home. A tip if they are moving into your home would be to look into senior programs so they can still feel connected with others their age.

Plan Moving Logistics

Once you’ve decided on potential care for your loved one(s) and have agreed on the move, the next step is to plan out moving logistics. It’s a good idea to have a strategy in place when it comes to moving to ensure you are considering all the aspects of a move so your loved one(s) can experience a flawless relocation.

As you start to plan out moving logistics, you’ll want to take into consideration the move-in dates of your parent(s) new home. Whether this be a move into your or your siblings’ home, a smaller home, an assisted or independent living community, or a nursing home, keeping this in mind for the move is crucial. Once you know the move-in date, it gives you the ability to lay out the rest of the moving plan.

If you need more support with moving your parents, moving companies can offer this assistance. There are options such as hiring a moving crew, ordering a moving van yourself, or even ordering a pod to fill and have the company drive it to your new location.

Typically a move means selling a home or ending a lease, if that’s the case for your situation, you’ll want to have a plan in place to make sure the house is packed up and ready for the next homeowners or renters. This can be a lot for your parent(s) so make sure that you are there to be of assistance and maybe even consider hiring packers if you don’t have a lot of helpers around. If you have a big family it may be a good idea to plan a week or weekend that everyone can pitch in to work together to help pack up belongings. Take inventory and make a list to decide whether you’ll be keeping, donating, or storing items. This is a great way to stay organized throughout the move. If your loved ones aren’t ready to part with certain items, invest in a storage unit closer to where they’ll be living so they can access the items whenever they want.

If your parent(s) live across the country, decipher your travel timeline. In some cases if they are far away, you’ll have to designate more time to the move and whether or not you’ll get moving trucks and pack up cars to relocate or if you all pack up the home and take a plane back home while you wait for their belongings to be shipped or transported.

Figure Out Moving Finances

A moving budget is another important part of moving logistics. You’ll want to make sure your loved one(s) have enough money allocated to make the move. It’ll also help you and your siblings figure out if there’s a need for you all to pitch in on any of these costs.

To stay on track and to see how much your parent(s) could potentially be spending, develop a spreadsheet of all the expenses involved with the move. Do some research, call around and get some price points, and mark all the expenses down. Once you have the pricing  figured out, you’ll want to think about various payment options to support the move.

Consider speaking with your parents about potential payment options that can cover the move and any home improvements they need to make before moving out of their home. Talk to them about their retirement fund, savings,  or a personal loan. You may even discuss with your siblings or spouse about potentially taking out a personal line of credit or using a credit card to help out. Another idea you could pitch would be for them to hold a garage sale to weed out some unnecessary items.

Lastly, make sure they have some extra money in an emergency fund in case problematic situations arise that may skew costs of services involved with the move (example: important items that could have been damaged or broken during the move). Having an emergency fund can also ensure your parents and/or you and your siblings aren’t borrowing too much to support the move.

Make the Move

Using these steps to get a plan of action for your loved ones is essential for a seamless transition. Now that you’ve had the conversation, planned out care and logistics, it’s now time to make the move! Get your loved one excited about this next step in their life journey and enjoy the move with ease.

3 Things to Consider When Making Funeral Arrangements

The loss of a loved one is never easy, but planning ahead can help ease the process. Before someone passes, it’s beneficial to discuss funeral arrangements to know what their final wishes are for their service and resting place. Read on to learn three things to consider when making funeral arrangements.

Type of Service

One of the first things to consider when making funeral arrangements is the type of service your loved one wants. There are several different types of services and burials that you will want to be aware of so you can choose the one that best suits you and your loved ones. If your loved one went through hospice care, you should consult with the caregiver on any arrangements your loved one requested.

Of course, if you are planning your own funeral, you can make whatever choices you desire. Still, if you are planning arrangements for a loved one, it’s good to check their will and legal documents for potential instructions regarding their final wishes. Some examples of service types include a traditional full-service funeral, a direct burial, a cremation, or a green burial.

Funeral Provider

The necessity of a funeral provider is the next thing to keep in mind when arranging a funeral. Once you decide what type of service you would like to have, it’s time to choose a funeral provider for the service. Some states, but not all, require that you have a funeral provider to have a funeral. It’s essential that you choose a provider you trust and feel will respect your wishes in this difficult time of loss.

Seeking connections in times of grief is important, and funerals are a way for people to do that. Therefore, you also want to be able to connect with your funeral provider to allow them to understand your wants and needs for a funeral. If your loved one lived in a retirement community, assisted living, or nursing home, talk to their staff and request a list of nearby funeral homes they trust.

Financial Arrangements

The third thing to consider when planning a funeral is making financial arrangements. Funerals can get rather expensive, depending on the services that you choose. Therefore, it’s essential that you make the appropriate financial arrangements to ensure that you can cover the funeral’s costs. If you are planning your own funeral, you can set aside dedicated finances so that the responsibility doesn’t fall to your family members after your death. However, if you are planning a loved one’s funeral, you can split up costs among family and friends or choose a plan to pay for the services.

Now that you’re aware of the three things to consider when planning a funeral, you can have peace of mind as you lay your loved one to rest. Of course, planning in advance is always helpful. Having a plan in place means that you are ready for anything and don’t have to worry about it when you are in the throes of grief.

Best Window Treatment Options for Senior Living

Window treatment options are an essential part of home decorating while also providing an important function. Window treatments allow us to control the amount of light that comes in, give us privacy, and help create a comfortable and relaxing environment. Whether in nursing homes or home care, learning about some of the best window treatment options for senior living never hurts.

Woven Wood Shades

A calming environment is good for senior health. Woven wood shades provide a natural sensation and are great for at-home care. These eco-friendly options are easy to install and manage while creating a relaxed and inviting setting. Woven wood shades don’t generally have many pieces, making them less of a hassle to open or close.

Drapery

Unlike blinds and shutters, which contain cords and pull strings that may tangle or snap, drapes are an elegant and classy window treatment option for seniors. While drapes are ideal for longer windows or sliding glass doors, they open along a railing that requires little force or effort to let in a bit of light. This quality makes them a great option regardless of one’s level of strength or mobility.

Drapes are an excellent way to add a dash of style and comfort to any living arrangement while providing essential sound and temperature control.

Motorization

No matter your choice, your most valuable asset is motorization. Motorized window treatments allow residents, staff, family members, and all individuals to control the amount of light and privacy from the windows with the press of a button. These options prevent seniors from moving around too much while giving them control of what comes through their windows.

Many motorized window options also come with timers, allowing people to set their blinds, shades, or shutters to open or close at intervals throughout the day. Regardless of what treatments you use, investing in motorization is fundamental for the health and comfort of the seniors in your life.

Tips for Improving the Operations of Your Nursing Home

Nursing homes are an essential requirement of the world today. As people age, they need help to do many basic things and need more specialized care, and institutions like nursing homes provide that for them. This care takes the burden off them and their family as well. Unfortunately, nursing homes operate like any other institution and may not work as efficiently as they should. Here are some great ways you can improve your nursing home to make it operate more smoothly.

Small Quality of Life Improvements

One of the best ways to make things operate more smoothly is to improve the quality of life of everyone, both patients and staff alike. Creating a better environment is a great way to lower stress and make everyone happy. A better environment can mean more breakroom amenities, decorations, and livelier colors instead of the traditional inoffensive whites and grays. Another addition you can implement to make everyone happier and improve their quality of life is a small aquarium. On top of being pleasant to look at, these aquariums have many benefits for seniors, as maintaining the tanks can help keep them active and help with memory.

Integrate With the Cloud

Many industries are using the cloud today, and after learning its benefits, it’s clear to see why. Cloud services are easy to use and can simplify many day-to-day operations. For example, a lot of administrative work can now be accessible from anywhere, including from those working at home. Other staff members can also communicate more effectively through online channels and get things approved or have questions answered quickly. Being online can also be good for residents, as the staff and their families can easily access their information and check on how they’re doing.

Improve Communication

Nursing homes have a lot of rules and procedures in place as they are medical facilities working with patients. While these exist, there may not be the greatest oversight and transparency between departments and staff. A way to fix this and ensure that things are done well is to improve overall communication throughout your facility. There should be more accessible avenues for staff, patients, and family to report things they see, and staff needs to address these issues promptly. Make a clear communication plan for cases like this so that when something gets raised or flagged, it goes to the right people who can fix the issue.

These were some tips for improving the operations of your nursing home, and while things can never be perfect, you and your staff can strive to make them as close to perfect as possible!