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Healthy environment and our loved ones
A healthy environment is imperative for your loved ones, no matter where they are staying. It could be community homes or their own homes. In either of the case, the place where they are going to spend their lives, need to be clean, safe and free from any form of dirt, that can attract bacteria and other disease-causing organisms. I have a book called “FUNDAMENTALS OF A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT” on my caregiving store to teach you with detailed instructions.
Our immune system and a healthy environment
As we age, our immune system diminishes to a point that, even a small infection can become life-threatening. Practicing improper personal hygiene, maintaining an unclean kitchen, house, or bedrooms, can all cause your loved ones to get sick quicker. Initially, it may begin with a simple cough or mild fever, but if the infection keeps recurring it can create major problems. Therefore, to avoid infections and keep your loved ones healthy, it becomes very important, that we make all efforts to keep their home clean and safe. Dealing with keeping a healthy environment day in and day out can cause strain on you, as the caregiver.
Infection control is important for a healthy environment
It is extremely important for all of us to understand, that diminishing immunity can start many severe forms of infections to set in. There are germs everywhere!! These invisible organisms can play havoc in our lives, causing life-threatening diseases to develop. In order to control infection, it is necessary that we maintain a clean, disease-free home for our loved ones. In view of this, preventing infection plays a key role, and can happen only when we maintain a clean home. It can be difficult to maintain a healthy environment, but it’s not impossible. With the right knowledge, you can do this. Don’t forget about taking care of yourself and keeping your business going while you are caregiving. I’m here to assist you on this journey, schedule your planning session with me so we can look at how to keep your life and your business running smoothly.
Hygiene for the family caregiver
The caregiver’s hygiene is also an extremely important part of maintaining home hygiene and sanitation. Your personal hygiene is also a vital aspect of preventing infections for your loved one. Therefore, all caregivers need to follow some of these basic rules, while taking care of their elderly:
- Wash your hands with soap and water often
- Use hand sanitizers after you tend to your loved one
- Cover your mouth and nose while sneezing and coughing
- Clean all utensils and dishes before and after cooking
- Take appropriate measures to keep the kitchen area pest and insects free
- Make use of proper methods to store food
- Minimize the use of leftover food. Cook appropriate quantities and always feed fresh food to your loved one.
For more information on maintaining a clean environment for your loved one, check out the fundamentals of a healthy environment. You can always order it online by clicking on this link.
So, if you caring for a loved one at home, and you wish to maintain a clean house for them, you can follow some of the basic rules of hygiene and cleanliness to maintain a clean home.
Smoke and carbon monoxide fears
This can be potentially life-threatening for your loved one. Smoke can cause asthma, breathing problems, heart disease and even cancer in your elderly. Caregivers need to understand that, there is no type of ventilation that can eliminate the dangerous effects of smoke. Hence, we are listing some of the most effective ways to reduce the exposure to smoke:
- No form of smoke is good, and therefore, avoid smoking cigarettes or lighting wood inside the house. It is always a good idea to keep the home free from tobacco. The chemical eliminated from the smoke does not get eliminated and stays in the air. This when inhaled, can prove to be potentially hazardous for your loved one.
- Woodfire may smell comforting and nice, but it is certainly not good for your loved ones.
Carbon monoxide is a poisonous gas, that is odorless and has no color. High levels of this gas can cause death and are potentially harmful, especially for your loved ones with heart disease. In this regard, make efforts to prevent the buildup of this gas.
- You can always consider installing certified carbon monoxide alarms, that can give signals when there is a buildup.
- It is also necessary to regularly inspect as well as maintain gas stoves, furnaces, water heaters, and chimneys, to prevent gas leakage.
Why make changes in the home?
When we say a healthy environment, we also mean a safe environment, where our seniors can be safe from falls, injuries, and unwanted accidents. To give them such an environment, we need to make certain simple changes in the house that they live in, to make it accident-proof.
It is certainly important for all of us to recognize, that your otherwise independent loved ones are easily prone to falls and accidents, due to advancing age. Accidents can occur within a blink of an eye, snatching away the independence of roaming about freely, for your aging parents. Making changes in the home is as simple as adding more lighting in the rooms to make it well lit. Or installing some grab bars in the bathroom to provide support while standing up after bathing, etc. Such small changes can go a long way in keeping your loved ones independent and safe from falls and injuries.
Falls and injuries
A fall and injury at this age can be very serious, as recovery may take several months to even a year. While becoming bedridden, your loved one may become irritable due to constricted mobility and can fall into depression. To avoid this, it is necessary that you consider making the following changes in your home: Here are certain home safety tips that you can consider for your loved ones:
- Keep all rooms, corridors, and passages free from clutter. All things should be in an orderly manner in areas, frequently used by your parents. This should be so that your parents do not trip over and fall.
- All the rooms and hallway should be well lit. With age, your parents may experience poor vision, and therefore well-lit rooms are a must for them.
- Make sure you have a fire extinguisher on every floor.
- Install grab bars inside the bathroom.
- The area near the bathtub, arrange for non-skid surfaces, which will ensure your parents do not slip and fall.
Conclusion
All the above-mentioned tips and tricks can help you maintain a clean and safe home environment for your elderly. Overseeing this can cause you to stress because you can’t be in 2 places at one time: taking care of your business and taking care of your loved one. Look into hiring some help. This will give you the opportunity to get some rest and also make sure your loved one is properly cared for.
Or maybe you want to spend more time with your loved one while taking a break from some of the redundant business tasks like sending out emails, returning calls, or organizing files. Let’s chat about how I can be of service to you so you can take care of your business and your loved one.
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