By Richard E. Ueberfluss, PT and edited by David Brimm — Updated March 27, 2026 Download One-page Room-by-Room Safety Checklist (printable) Introduction As people age, the home environment often becomes the site of the greatest risk for injury. Falls, medication/chemical poisoning, choking (dysphagia), and fire remain the most common and most preventable hazards. Recent advances—telehealth, smart-home devices, guided exercise programs,…
As older people age, independently performing the activities of daily living can become increasingly challenging. Showering, shaving, toileting, and dressing may require the assistance of a family or professional caregiver. Here are the basics of grooming when caring for an elderly loved one. Firstly, it is important to discuss the senior’s comfort level before helping with personal hygiene tasks. An…
This past year has been difficult to say the least as the COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on everyone’s lives, especially those of seniors. As 2020 comes to a close, many are looking forward to a more positive year in 2021, both personally and on a larger scale. One way to make positive changes or work towards goals in…
A new disease recently erupted in Wuhan, China, and the outbreak has already affected people in the United States. Coronavirus disease 19 is also known as Covid-19. The novel (new) coronavirus causes respiratory illness in people exposed to it. Protecting vulnerable individuals, like seniors, is vital. What is Covid-19? Coronaviruses in general are composed of a large family of viruses…
Have you ever tried to fall asleep but just couldn’t? Or have you fallen asleep just to wake up in the middle of the night and then you can’t fall asleep until just before the alarm goes off? Are you staying awake to care for elderly parents? Sleep is such an important factor in our lives; it controls how we…
As the song goes, ‘Baby, it’s cold outside.’ The temperature has dipped below zero and there is snow on the ground. Whether or not the calendar says it is officially winter, it certainly feels like it. This is the time of the year when kids might be outside building a snowman, sledding or having snowball fights. They, and you, have…
Chances are that your dad, uncle, grandfather or a female relative has served in one of the armed forces. My dad was in the Army, stationed in Key West during the Bay of Pigs invasion. It may have seemed like a prime place to be stationed, but not so close to Cuba during those trying times! On behalf of everyone…
In-home safety is the number one concern of adult children for their aging parents. “Will they be safe staying in their home?” It’s a question we hear all the time. The answer is usually ‘yes’ (with exceptions, of course), but there are things that the children need to do for their parents to make sure they can stay at home…
Saturday, November 19th is the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout event. Smoke from across the nation can use this day as a way to finally decide that they should quit smoking, or have it be the day when they actually quit. Either way, the goal is to create more non-smokers. According to the CDC, as of 2014, approximately 17%…
