According to the CDC, six out of ten Americans live with a chronic disease. Chronic diseases are defined as a condition that lasts for a year or longer and requires ongoing medical attention. They are also something that usually impacts your daily life and activities. Many chronic conditions are the result of a combination of lifestyle factors such as smoking, alcohol use, lack of healthy diet and exercise and/or a genetic predisposition.
Chronic conditions are the leading cause of illness, disability and even death in not just the United States but all of North America. And many people are dealing with more than one chronic condition at the same time. Some common chronic conditions are type 2 diabetes, COPD, hypertension, cancer, depression, MS and arthritis, but there are many more.
While many chronic conditions can be managed in a way that allows an individual to lead a happy and vibrant life, these conditions are still serious and may have a significant impact on an individual’s ability to perform daily tasks. That’s why creating a comfortable home for an older adult with a chronic condition is so important. Sometimes just a few tweaks to a home or a routine can make all the difference. If you’ve been wondering how you can make your loved one more comfortable then keep on reading.
Update Accessibility Features
Unfortunately, not many homes are built with accessibility in mind. This might be fine for an able bodied person with no chronic conditions, but for someone who is struggling with mobility, sometimes even just the presence of a few steps up to the entryway of their home can present what feels like an insurmountable challenge. While major renovations might not be possible, there are some smaller adjustments that can be made to make a home feel more comfortable and accessible to someone living with a chronic condition that affects their mobility.
Grab Bars
Grab bars can be incredibly useful for older adults who might be at risk of falls. The National Institute on Aging tells us that one in four older adults fall every year, so anything you can do to lower the risk for your loved one is beneficial. When thinking about where to place grab bars in your loved one’s home you’ll want to focus on areas where they are likely to experience slippery surfaces or have moments where they are not able to balance properly.
- Showers and bathtubs. The bathroom will likely be the room in the house that requires the most grab bars, as moisture can make a surface much more treacherous. Plus, on top of a slippery surface, individuals also have to navigate getting in and out of a shower or bath, which can throw off their balance. Along with grab bars it’s also a good idea to place a non-slip mat in the shower as well as a shower stool to provide more stability
- Beside toilets. Getting on and off the toilet can be very difficult for older adults with mobility limitations, so having a grab bar placed beside the toilet can help prevent accidents.
- At the top of the stairs. Not only can getting to the top of a set of stairs be exhausting, but it can also throw off someone’s balance, so having a grab bar at the top of the stairs can provide some much needed support so that the person climbing can catch their breathe and reduce the risk of falling backwards down the stairs, which could result in serious injury or death.
- Along long stretches of walls. You don’t ever want your loved one to be in a situation where they have to walk for long periods of time without support. If there’s a long stretch of space, even if it’s even ground, such as a hallway, then it might be a good idea to place grab bars at strategic intervals or simply install a railing.
Ramps
While installing a large ramp outside might not be possible, when you’re dealing with just a step or two inside or outside the home, it can be a lot more manageable to replace or cover the steps with a ramp. Of course, the exact cost will depend on the construction of the home and what kind of material you use. But for basic needs you might be looking at something as low as a few hundred dollars.
Depending on the needs of your loved one you might also look like changes such as a raised toilet seat, or the widening of doorways to accommodate a wheelchair. It’s always best to chat with your loved one and any support they may have to figure out the best way to move forward with accessibility changes. And, if looking at installing ramps or grab bars, make sure you contract someone who is trained on how to properly install such features. If installed improperly, features such as grab bars could cause serious injuries.
Proper Home Safety
Proper home safety is a continuation of the work of making a home more accessible, but focuses a bit more on the general state of your loved one’s home. With home safety you want to look at security features such as what kind of emergency alert system your loved one has in place in case of an accident, and whether or not they have an alarm system that can protect them against home robberies.
Something else to look at is fire alarms, carbon monoxide detectors and slip hazards inside the home. Make sure all alarms are up to date and functioning properly. Secure rugs with non-slip mats or by taping down the corners. Not only will taking all of these steps help to keep your loved one safe, but that safety will also contribute to their comfort. It’s hard to feel comfortable if you’re worried about falling in your home or whether or not you’ll be able to safely handle an emergency.
Excess stress can make mental health conditions worse and can also worsen the immune system. While there might be many reasons why a person might feel stressed, an unsafe home is something that is completely manageable, so why not help take that stress off of your loved one’s plate?
Ensure Proper Nutrition
Not only are some chronic conditions the result of poor nutrition, but many chronic conditions make it much more difficult for individuals to have the energy to cook healthy meals. Exhaustion and depression can make it a lot more likely that someone will reach for something easy and comforting, such as a fat and carb heavy macaroni and cheese or some deep fried pastries. While it’s important to eat treats for pleasure every once and awhile, the importance of good nutrition cannot be overstated. In fact, one of the first comments the World Health Organization makes about diet is how crucial it is for maintaining good health and limiting the chances of developing chronic diseases.
If you are concerned about your loved one’s nutrition then you might consider connecting them with a registered dietician who is well versed in the kinds of needs that your loved one’s chronic condition requires. From there you can offer further support by helping them with cooking meals and getting used to making whatever nutrition adjustments they need to make. Many older adults can struggle with the idea of changing their diets. They might feel angry and resentful at the need to stop eating some of their favorite foods. However, a lot of diet changes can be successful as long as the necessary time is taken to learn how to make a new diet exciting and delicious. Perhaps this can be a time for the two of you to bond and learn some new recipes together. You can also help by taking them grocery shopping to make sure their house is filled with diet-suitable tasty snacks. If healthy food is readily available when someone is hungry then they’ll be a lot more likely to reach for it. Sometimes a barrier to healthy living can simply be the step of having to chop a few veggies or slice some low fat cheese. If that’s already prepped and available in the fridge then it suddenly isn’t such a big deal.
Something else to consider is the possibility of signing your loved one up for a meal delivery service.There are many meal delivery programs that are specifically targeted towards conditions such as diabetes. This takes all of the stress of meal planning out of someone’s life. Instead diet appropriate meals are regularly portioned out and delivered and all your loved one needs to do is pop it in the microwave. Contact your local center for older adults or speak to a dietician to find out what is available in your area.
Housekeeping
While doing regular cleaning or taking out the garbage might not seem like a major task for you, for an older adult with a chronic condition the energy those tasks require might mean that’s all they are able to get done in one day, which leaves them with no energetic reserves left to do more enjoyable activities.
That’s why bringing in a regular cleaner can make a major difference in an older adult’s life. Yes, it is an additional expense, but as long as a cleaner comes in regularly, the costs can often stay quite low, since the house will be consistently maintained. It’s when things get out of hand and you’re dealing with pests, hazardous mold or hoarding that cleaning is going to start getting astronomically expensive.
However, if a cleaner is outside of your budget then you might get together with friends and family and agree to supporting your loved one with a cleaning schedule that you all contribute to. While it might be too much for you to take on a weekly cleaning shift, it is probably doable to help clean once a month, or to go in as a team and each commit to doing one or two tasks.
A clean house is much more comfortable to live in for anyone, but can also help to manage conditions such as asthma, which can flare up in houses that are not regularly cleaned and dusted.
Plan Regular Visits
While you might not think of socialization as something you would do to make a house more comfortable just take a moment to think about what really makes a house a home. Yes, it might be furniture you love or the way the sun shines in through the kitchen window in the morning, but it’s also about all the memories you make it in. People with chronic conditions can often spend so much time focusing on their health that they miss out on what makes life so wonderful: the people they love.
Chronic conditions can leave older adults feeling isolated at home, so make sure you counter that by planning regular visits to make sure they know they are valued and loved. Coordinate with other family and friends to ensure your loved one is getting enough attention and socialization and is never left at home alone for long without someone checking in.
Medication Management
Some chronic conditions require multiple forms of medication to be taken each day, which can sometimes be difficult for some older adults to keep track of. To alleviate the stress of keeping track you might help them set up a tracking system that works for them. This might be through labeled pill cases, alarms or calendars. You could also look into whether or not there are available supports available to them, which might look like a support worker coming to their house to help administer their medication. This way your loved one can relax knowing that their meds are being taken care of and you can relax knowing that they are not going to miss a dose of crucial medicine.
Focus on Needs
Finally, one of the most important things you can do when thinking about how to make your loved one’s home more comfortable is to stop thinking and do some asking! Go directly to your loved one and ask what they need to make their home more comfortable. Of course safety and general health is important, but they might have unexpected needs that you would never think of unless you ask. Maybe they need some more stools in their home to make it easier to sit down any time they need. Perhaps they need an extra throw blanket because the one they have doesn’t keep their toes warm. Maybe they’d like a cart with wheels so that they don’t have to worry about dropping a plate when moving their dinner between rooms. Grab a cup of coffee and sit down to make a list together. Sometimes just the smallest little detail can make someone dramatically more comfortable.
No matter what you do it’s very likely that your loved one will still have days that are painful or uncomfortable. On those days the best thing you can do is just be there for them and any needs they may have. If you’ve opened up the lines of communication and show that you care then it’ll be a lot more likely that you’ll find a solution quickly so that they can get back to living a comfortable life.
