How to Find Home Automation Options for the Elderly

Caring for our loved ones as they age is a difficult job. Many senior citizens need assistance doing basic things, such as driving and being mobile. Help them retain their sense of independence while using options that will keep them safe. Here are some tips to help you find home automation options for the elderly.

Instructions

• 1

  Consider the permanence of the residence. If the elderly person you are finding automation options for is in poor health or is likely to need around-the-clock care in the near future, it is possible that they will soon be residing in an assisted living facility or, at the very least, with a capable family member rather than in their current home. If this is the case, acquire temporary or moveable tools for automation, such as a mobility scooter, rather than installing a chair on a track that will help them get up and down the stairs of their current home.

• 2

  Assess their health. Consider the stress that is put on the body by being mobile when choosing automation options. If the elderly person has had a hip or knee replacement, find them something that will keep them off the weakened leg as much as possible. Seniors with diabetes or Parkinson's disease may not need to be completely off their feet so a mobility scooter is not entirely necessary, but an option like a rolling walker will give them much-needed balance and stability. Discuss these factors with the elderly person and their doctor.

• 3

  Consult a health care specialist. Home health care specialists are specifically trained to help people find equipment and tools to help them live normal healthy lives, especially elderly people and people with disabilities. One of these trained professionals can help you find the automation equipment you need and suggest options that you have not thought of. Visit a home healt hcare store and talk with a home health care specialist.

• 4

  Investigate insurance options. Many state and government funded health insurance and benefit programs have provisions to aid senior citizens in paying for health care and mobility equipment. However, most programs have restrictions on what they will cover, how often they will cover it and what medical needs and conditions need to be met before it is deemed medically necessary. Research these options before making your final purchase of the automation equipment, as some insurance companies will not reimburse you once the equipment has been paid for.

• 5

  Respect their wishes. When finding automation options for the elderly person, have them play as large a role in the process as possible. Let them visit facilities with you when you are shopping, try out equipment if allowed and voice their opinions about what they feel that they need. Senior citizens tend to be very set in their ways and are less likely to use automation equipment if they don't like it or are unsure how to use it, so be careful to listen to what they have to say and respect their wishes as much as possible when selecting automation options.