As people age, families are faced with some difficult decisions. One of these decisions involves that of living arrangements. Often, there comes a time where it is no longer practical for people of a certain age or level of health to live alone, and the transition to a more dependent lifestyle can be a challenging one for many.
One option that many people decide on when the time comes is to have their elderly loved ones move into a nursing home. Such facilities need to be well equipped and up to code so as to offer the best care for residents. If you are interested in starting and operating such a facility, you are going to want to make the right preparations so as to offer the most comfortable home for the aging members of your community.
When you decide to do this, of course, there are certain qualifications that you and your facility are going to need to meet. Plus, you are most likely going to need to make adjustments to any property that you acquire in order to make it as safe as possible for your residents to live in.
Here are a few simple ways that you can prepare your care home for your future residents to move in.
The Right Beds
Many elderly individuals need a special type of bed in order to ensure their comfort and safety. This is because of one very simple reason. As people age, they tend to lose much of their mobility. Specific beds manufactured for nursing homes can be purchased to ensure that your residents are as comfortable as possible.
Such beds tend to be lower to the ground and have sides that can drop down. Some even come with features that allow the mattress to be adjusted so that that it is more upright so that they can be more comfortable when sitting or lying in bed.
While these beds are a bit of an investment, you can find some fairly affordable models when you shop online. Websites like medical-supermarket.com allow you to compare the prices of various models so that you can find the perfect bed for your loved one.
Safe Showers
One thing that many aging individuals are at risk of is slipping and falling in the shower. This is because as mobility begins to decline so does stability. The slippery surfaces due the water in the bathroom can be a dangerous hazard for the people you are caring for.
This is why you should have a professional come in and assess the bathroom that will be dedicated to the people you are caring for. They will be able to recommend any shower seats or handles as well as non-slip surfaces so that your residents can be safe while in the shower.
You will also want to have an emergency alarm installed in each bathroom case a fall does occur. Such alarms can be activated by pulling a string or flipping a switch so that you can be alerted of an incident right away.