How do you know if the senior care facility where your loved one lives is safe?
There are several ways to measure safety and security at senior care facilities, but you have to know the right questions to ask. Here are a few ways to ensure your senior loved one lives in a safe facility.
- Ask local police officers or check safety data online. Just like you may check crime reports or chat with officers before moving into a new neighborhood, you should ask local cops what they think of the security at your love one’s local senior care facility, or check for safety data online. Are there any break-ins or other security issues?
- Visit at night. A night visit gives you the chance to look at lighting when it’s dark and to verify the way that people can get inside at night. For example, is there someone still checking in visitors? Is a keypad code used for entry? Do you feel comfortable with the nighttime security measures.
- Look at how visitors are verified. This is important both for visitors to the facility and for visitors to individual rooms. Let your loved one know that if someone knocks on their door and claims to be with the facility, he or she should call the front desk to verify. Make sure that your loved one’s facility encourages residents to verify visitors.
- Check state inspection reports online. These could alert you to any potential safety or other issues based on the results of regular state inspections. Find Florida facility reports at FloridaHealthFinder.gov.
- Monitor for physical safety issues. With falls such a huge problem for seniors, caregivers always must consider objects that could increase the risk for a fall. At your loved one’s care facility, look out for the following, and correct or request help for it as needed:
- carpets in poor condition or throw rugs that could be tripped on easily
- lack of handrails
- chairs with no armrests
- bad lighting
- Think beyond just security. If you are still considering certain facilities for your loved one, ask questions about emergency plans. What plans does the facility have in place in case of a natural disaster or a large-scale security risk?
Call Secure Aging to Find Out How We Can Help Seniors With Care Management
At Secure Aging in Bradenton, we transform the weight of the world into a sigh of relief for our senior clients and their concerned family members. The mission of Secure Aging is to protect and preserve our client’s independence and dignity through careful and thoughtful financial and care management. As our clients age, it is their desire to remain independent and age with dignity. Our services protect our clients from talented con artists looking to exploit and deplete the financial resources of our vulnerable seniors. Secure Aging helps families in Manatee County and Sarasota County and in and around the communities of Anna Maria, Bradenton, Bradenton Beach, Ellenton, Holmes Beach, Lakewood Ranch, Longboat Key, Myakka City, Palmetto, Parrish, and Sarasota. Call us at 941-761-9338, or visit us online at www.secureaging.com.
