Personal Safety Tips: Keeping Your Parent’s Home Safe While Traveling

Posted: 10/4/2017 11:42 AM by Interim HealthCare
Bringing your elderly parent on a trip can be one of the most fun things that you do as a family caregiver. This is a great way to spend quality time with them and to make memories that you cherish well into the future. Whether you are going away for an extended vacation or just a quick getaway it is extremely important that you keep your parent’s safety in mind. Being out of the house can make their home vulnerable to intruders, putting their personal belongings as well as their personal safety at risk. Taking a few basic precautions before you leave, however, can reduce this risk and keep them safer so you can have more peace of mind while enjoying your time away.

Use these tips to keep your parent’s home safe while traveling:
• Avoid announcing to too many people that your parent is going to be out of the house.

• Ask your parent’s neighbors to keep their eye out for suspicious behavior around the home.

• Tell your parent’s care provider when they will be back so if they happen to be near the home and notice someone inside, they can call you.

• Make sure that all windows and doors and locked and secured before leaving the home. Consider adding a barrier such as a bar that fits under the doorknob and prevents doors that are hidden from clear view of the street from opening.

• Consider adding a timer to your parent’s lights or implementing smart technology that allows you to turn lights on and off on a random pattern each night.

• Be sure that your parent’s mail and newspapers are stopped so that they do not pile up in front of the home.

• Consider having a trusted neighbor or family member visit the house regularly so that there is a car in the driveway and movement in the house.

Being a family caregiver for an elderly adult can be stressful and challenging. Fortunately, home care can help. If you have found that your parent’s challenges and needs are more than you feel that you can handle successfully and efficiently on your own, or your own limitations have increased so that you are no longer able to do for your senior what you feel that they need or deserve, a care provider could be an invaluable addition to your care routine. This in-home care provider can step in to fill care gaps and ensure that your loved one gets everything that they need at all times, helping to support your efforts in giving them the highest quality of life possible as they age in place. Not only can this care enhance your parent’s life, but it can also be a benefit to you, easing stress, giving you peace of mind, and allowing you to focus on other obligations and needs in your life while knowing that your parent has what they need.

Learn more about senior care.