You might be an older person who finds yourself suddenly having to adapt to living alone – because of a new house, because of the death or divorce of a partner. For many, living alone is a choice they opt for over living in a care home or facility: And being able to live by yourself is a right that you’ve lived a long enough time to have earned.
But, being older, there are still a lot of things you can do to make things safer for yourself should an emergency happen. Here are practical safety tips for seniors who are living alone.
- A Smaller Place
If having to live alone is a sudden change, then many people find that it’s much better for them to change the environment that they have to do it in. Just one example is the fact that most people spend their lives in a large house.
But when they get older, this is no longer practical, and it can even be dangerous to live in a huge place by yourself – who will be there when an emergency happens? Often moving to a smaller place is already a safety plus.
- Have Emergency Contacts
Do you know who to contact in the event of an emergency – or will your doctor or emergency services know who to contact if something were to happen to you?
If you are a senior living on your own, then you should never say that these kinds of emergencies will never happen: It’s possible, and it very well might: You should have an emergency plan with the right people to contact in place for if it ever does.
- Securing Your Home
As you get older, it’s often true that you are more vulnerable – and sometimes this means that you are more vulnerable to physical attack. You might not live in a rough neighborhood, and you might never have had a break in.
But can you guarantee that it’s going to stay that way in the next twenty years? Nobody can, and especially as a senior you should always remember your safety. Many companies are able to secure the perimeter around your home, and armed response will be there should an emergency ever take place – many armed response companies also come with medical services if there is an emergency for which you need medical assistance.
- Hire a Caregiver
If you are at the point where you are in need of some extra help, you can always hire a caregiver: It doesn’t have to be on a permanent basis; you can hire someone to check in a few times a week and help you with the physically demanding things. This is a huge help, and you will still be able to keep your physical independence while still having someone who is able to assist and take care of you if anything were to happen.
- Medical Alert Devices
What happens if you are unable to call your emergency contacts if you have a life-threatening emergency – or if you are in a medical danger zone and you don’t yet spot the signs occurring yourself?
Technology has been able to change everything about how we take care of ourselves, and here is where a medical alert device can become almost essential: It can even save your life if an emergency were to take place and you were not within reach of medical help.
A medical alert device is able to let the wearer’s emergency contacts know that they are in trouble – and need help. This allows for a much faster response time when you really need it. There are many and you can compare medical alert devices available that can help you in your time of need.
