Assessment of living conditions of older person

Sir Ubay2x

Assessment of living conditions is a special component of assessing the health o

f
older persons

Home visits-tell more than any interview session

Chance to look at the layout of the house
.
Assess nutrition and activities of the elderly in a natural setting
.
Social atmosphere
.
Access to basic services
.
Home Assessment

Safety at home is a primary concern in maintaining the health of older persons.

Layout, signs of neglect or cleanliness and order, presence of help tools or
physical barriers are some of the things we check

As one gets old certain limitation may come up:

Vision
.
Falls, burns
.
Hearing
.
Accident,
.
Limited range of motion

.
Around the House

Try to keep furniture to a minimum, especially if elderly has difficulty walking

or
needs to use a walking frame

Avoid having mats; or make sure they are securely fastened

Check for worn carpets and loose flooring

Be careful of loose cords hanging on telephones or other house implements, for

the older person can easily trip on these

Keep areas well lit at night: night light or blue or green light bulbs give a so
ft
glow at night

If the older person has difficulty getting in and out of chairs-encourage to use
chairs with arm rests for leverage

Check for access to clocks, calendar and news papers that promote orientation
and knowledge of current events
Bedroom

Check height of bed-may need to be lowered or raised so the older person can
sit comfortably on the edge of the bed with feet flat on the floor

Instruct the older person to take time to gain balance when getting up from a
chair or bed

Instruct the older person to wear shoes or slippers that have slip-resistant tre
ad
patterns and have low heels with broad surface
Bathroom

Check for slippery surfaces-avoid mats unless firmly fixed to the floor; use non
slip bath mats

Rails may be fitted in the shower or bath to help the older person et in and out
or to steady the elderly

If getting on and off toilet is difficult,, consider installing hand rails and p
erhaps a
raised toilet seat

Hand-held showers may be convenient; avoid using electrical appliances in the

bathroom

Ask to alter shower access so that elderly does not need to step over anything t
o
get into it
Thursday, July 16, 2015
9:40 AM

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Kitchen

Put items for everyday use where they can be reached easily

Try to have power outlets placed where they are easy to reach

Safety precautions with electrical appliances

Make sure that floor surface is non-slip and always clean up water, food spills,
etc

Ask for specific gadgets that may help the older in turning off stove knobs,
pouring from kettles, etc

Encourage the older person to ask for help with tasks that might be risky:
transferring heavy pots, pouring boiling water
Nutrition

Food intake can be checked by what is served on their table, stored in the
refrigerator or food bins

Food recall may sometimes be biased by poor memory or desire to please the
person who is interviewing

Casual inspection might reveal presence of certain foods such as instant,

processed and foods high in sodium and fats

Checking food storages also gives opportunity to see if there is improper food
handling
Activities

Home visits provide proper venues to assess activities

Older persons often overestimate their ability o perform each task and assess
whether that can do these independently or only with assistance

Observe them while eating, preparing meals or doing domestic chores

Observing condition of the house-clues for neglect

Recreational activities-time, type of recreation and barriers

Medication

Medications should be assessed at home. Ask that medication be brought for

your assessment

Check medicines that can cause dizziness, and may increase the older person's
tendency to fall. Check whether medications are stored in a locked cupboard
and left in their original container

Assess how medicines are taken in terms of dose, time and route. Compare
these to the prescriptions of their doctors
Family support

Assessment of living conditions also means checking the quality if interaction

between the olde rperson and family members

Assess ability of the elderly to manage finances

Identify the caregivers in the family

Integration of the older person's family into the neighbourhood is another

aspect of assessing family support
Access to services

Assessment of availability of community-based services is also important:

Transportation
.
Outreach services
.
Adult day care
.
Nutrition programs
.
Rehabilitation services
.
Vocational rehab

.
Self-help support groups
.
Senior citizens centre
.
elder abuse protective services
Health and fitness programs
.
Quote of the day:
" Wag magmadali, para hindi magkamali, sabi nga nila, The best things in
life comes to those who wait patiently."
#whogoat