Sometimes after a sudden illness or injury, elderly people find themselves in need of help and support in their home, or have to consider permanent residential care in a nursing home. For many this is the right choice, but there are a number of steps you can take to stay in your home, by making it safer and easier to navigate. Here's a few tips on how to maintain independence and stay in your home.

Technology

It's very important that you are able to get in touch with friends, relatives and even the emergency services very easily. By having a mobile phone on your person, you will always be able to contact people and don't have to go to a particular room to make a call. Keep it fully charged and on your person at all times.

It can be a good idea to utilise the alarm or calendar function on your phone, or maybe an alarm on a digital watch, to help you if you have trouble remembering things. When you begin writing these things down on a regular basis and keeping track of things, your brain will start to work harder and you might even find using these memory aids actually improves your memory.

Eating

Gas or Electric ovens are a hazard for seniors, with many forgetting to turn them off and putting their life in danger. By using a microwave for meals you can dismiss this possibility, as microwaves have a timer and an alarm bell so leaving it on for days is not an option.

Alternatively, perhaps you should consider meals-on-wheels. There are organisations who will deliver home-cooked meals to your door. It saves time on cooking and shopping, as well as decreasing the dangerous aspect of cooking.

Bathing

If you look for home improvement aids, you will see the new modern baths which you can walk into instead of stepping into. These bathtubs suit seniors perfectly and are a great way of ensuring that you don't slip over on the way in or out of the bath.

Take It Easy

This is one of the most important things for seniors. Slow yourself down. When you take things slow and easy, you are limiting the possibility of having a fall or an accident. An accident which would be minor to someone could be disastrous for you, go slow and make no apologies for doing so.

Stay Socially Active

Social interaction is really important, and being active means that your brain has more exercise, keeping it healthy for longer. There are seniors groups to get involved with, as well as hobbyist ones around walking, bird-watching, yoga, and educational groups too. There is always something to get involved with, and these activities will keep your mind healthy for longer.