elder care overland park ks

The holiday season is finally here! Families gather together from far and wide to celebrate, reminisce, and share in the love and joy that make this time of year so meaningful. And as the Hearts at Home team in elder care in Overland Park, KS knows, the holidays aren’t the same without festive decorations to brighten up our living spaces and spark memories of precious holidays past.

As fun as it is to dive into decorating, these holiday tips for senior safety are important to keep in mind to make sure the season remains free of potential dangers:

  • Forego the fires. While chestnuts roasting on an open fire sounds lovely in a song, fireplaces and candles are major contributors to holiday fires. Battery-powered candles are a safer substitute to create a warm ambiance.
  • Think artificial. If the senior would like a tree to decorate, a safe and easy-to-maintain choice is an artificial tree rather than a freshly cut one. And take special care with ornaments. Although older decorations are certainly a treasure, many of them are made from fragile glass. An option to keep both the ornaments and the senior safe is to take out and enjoy viewing and sharing stories about glass ornaments, but then hang only shatter-proof decorations on the tree itself.
  • Avoid electrical accidents. Carefully check strings of lights and other decorations that require electricity, as well as extension cords, to ensure they’re free of damage or fraying. Updated guidelines for holiday lights were established in 2015 by the Consumer Product Safety Commission to include over-current protection, a minimum wire size, and other standards, so it’s a good idea to replace any older electric decorations with newer, safer ones. And, be sure to unplug all lights and decorations when they’re unattended, such as when leaving the home or going to bed.

Another great way to ensure senior safety and fully enjoy the holiday season is by partnering with a professional home care agency, such as Hearts at Home senior care. We allow families to step back from the hustle and bustle and enjoy quality time together, by helping with a variety of senior care needs, such as:

  • Light housecleaning and laundry
  • Meal planning and preparation
  • Personal care needs, such as bathing/showering, dressing, hair care, etc.
  • Running errands
  • Transportation to fun outings, visiting with family and friends, medical appointments, etc.
  • Cheerful companionship to engage in favorite activities and pastimes together
  • And so much more

Our caregivers are fully trained and experienced in providing elder care in Overland Park, KS that enhances quality of life for seniors, right where they’re most comfortable: at home. Contact us at 913-440-4209 for more holiday tips for seniors, or to arrange for a complimentary in-home assessment to determine how our customized senior care can help your loved one.