Working Caregiver- Caregiver Articles
Checklist and Tips for Home Instead & Aging in Place
Checklist & Tips for Aging in Place Helps Your Senior Stay Home Instead
Most elders prefer home instead and aging in place. And we want to give them what they prefer because we want them to be happy. But a working caregiver has limited time when helping our aging relatives. The best ways to give and help out are doing the things for them around the house that they have difficulty doing for themselves.
My mom was great about having lists for me 'to do' when I visited on weekends. You, the caregiver, may consider completing one or all of them, in time, for your aging relatives. Remember, you're not on a time table when doing these tasks. This list is a reminder of checking for items such as these when you visit.
Spring
Clean windows
Change storm windows to screens
Replace burned-out light bulbs
Do touch up painting
Install deadbolts locks on doors
Research free or inexpensive fix-it services in your area
Get the home repair-savvy friends to lend a hand
Put new batteries in smoke detectors
Clean high places and hard to reach spaces
Rearrange kitchen cabinets and other storage spaces for easier reaching.
Review bids or contracts for home modification services
Clean out attic, basement and garage
Inspect handrails on steps or stairs for stability and strength. Make sure they are in place on both sides of the steps.
Offer a ride to a community program on home modification
Help develop a budget for modifications
Check carpet to make sure it’s firmly attached to stairs and floor
Plant flowers or herbs in a window box
Ask computer savvy kids to help an elder to locate information on home modification on the Internet
Fix what is broken
Patch what is peeling
Seal what is leaking
Oil what is squeaking
Pick up and put back what’s fallen
Wash curtains, blinds, drapes
Mulch the garden
Summer
Mow the lawn, trim bushes
Clear out a closet or storage room or hold a garage sale
Water shrubs
Provide fans for neighbors who have no air conditioning
Defrost a refrigerator or freezer
Run errands to the post office or the store
Give the dog a bath
Wash the car
Clean the porch
Make sure the house has a sturdy stepstool - preferably one with handrails
Check the house for loose throw rugs, electrical cords that are in the way, torn carpet, or slippery floors
Help choose the best emergency response system in case they fall
Install lighting in a dark hall
Shampoo a rug
Offer help with high tech appliance questions
Install at least two grab bars in the bath
Put a rubber bath mat or rubber strips in the bath or shower
Introduce them to 'talking books' a free federally funded program to help visually impaired people. Call 1-202-707-5100 or go to www.loc.gov/nls for details
Have your children offer help with chores during weekends or summer vacation
Volunteer to house sit or pet sit while an older person is away
Install inexpensive night lights in bathrooms
Inspect house for fire hazards
Put in raised toilets and handrails
Clear all exits and hallways
Drive them to a doctor for a hearing or vision check up
Fall
Rake leaves
Enjoy a walk with the elder
Walk the dog or take their pet to the vet
Exchange nutritious recipes
Offer a drive to a place they want to go like visit a friend
Make sure the furnace is clean
Visibly mark changes in floor levels with tape
Give them information on bus routes and senior transportation services
Help with auto repairs
Help a friend with hearing problems get a hearing aid
Contact the phone company about amplified telephone handsets
Weatherize the house for winter with insulation and window/door stripping
Install lever type controls on faucets and door locks
Secure doormats to the floor surface
Share a catalogue of assistive devices
Organize a few handy persons to help make a house wheel chair friendly. Install ramps, reposition counters and sinks to lower levels; adjust doorways
Make sure doormats are secure to the floor
Remove inside doors that are not needed
Help them acquire a scooter, cane or walker
Insure ramps are solid and not slippery
Clean gutters
Fertilize plants
Get them a bag of salt for melting icy stairs and sidewalks
Review their home insurance and services
Take trash to the curb
Winter
Shovel snow
Make an emergency kit
Fill the bird feeders
Prepare a meal
Help them stock up on staples that will last a few months
Get rental movies for them
Help decorate their holiday tree and get the boxes from storage and help put them back
Install porch light
Clean furnace screens
Clean the stove and oven
Make a commitment to help them with modifications once a month
Get them easier to use tableware
Wrap holiday packages
Check into public funding sources that provide grants for low income home owners repair their homes
Remind them that home improvement for easier access are tax deductible
Sew buttons on coats
Give them an up to date directory of local senior citizen services
Vacuum
Research reverse mortgages
If it’s icy and slippery, de-ice it
Clean up fallen branches and debris
Make sure their power is on
Check space heaters for safety
When the weather changes and gets warmer, help them put away winter clothing
Help them research ‘easy to get out of chairs’ items
