"Home is where the heart is" - Many people, especially seniors, live by this motto. The desire to remain independent and live at home for as long as possible is often particularly strong for them.
Considering the high costs and shortage of skilled workers in care facilities, this concern is also socially sensible.
In this blog article, you will learn more about age-appropriate and barrier-free living, about everyday aids for people in need of help, and about emergency watches.
1. Living in old age: What options are there?
Often, older people and people who need assistance are accommodated in nursing homes, and this is probably the first form of housing that comes to mind, for example, when we think of living in old age. But there are also numerous other housing options for people who need help in everyday life:
Assisted living
The individuals live at home as usual but receive support from institutions such as mobile care services or care services like Meals on Wheels.
Professional home helpers and nursing staff support the affected individuals, among other things, with medical care, shopping, household chores, personal hygiene, doctor's visits or other appointments, and eating.
24-hour care
Here, the caregivers live with the person being cared for to provide them with round-the-clock medical care, do shopping, cook, and promote their mental and physical well-being.
For this type of care, you need a separate room or a separate sleeping arrangement for the nursing professional.
This form of living is particularly suitable for very care-dependent individuals, mostly those from care level 3 onwards.
Senior shared apartments (WGs)
As in a typical shared apartment, seniors share an apartment and the costs here.
This form of housing is particularly suitable for single and sociable older people.
There are also shared apartments with professional support from caregivers.
Multi-generational living
There are various forms of multi-generational living, but all of these living arrangements have in common that people of different age groups live in one residential building. Usually with common rooms to promote exchange between young and old.
The most well-known form of multi-generational living is when one's own family lives together in one residential building. But there are also projects, e.g., in Vienna and Salzburg, where a student lives with a senior.
This offers advantages for both sides: affordable housing for the student and companionship for the senior.
Day centers for people in need of assistance
In this form of living, the elderly person receives daytime care in the form of individual care, meals, and occupational, physical, or psychotherapy.
Excursions are also organized, events are held, and relatives are advised. In day centers, seniors and people in need of assistance receive professional daytime care from nursing staff.
Age-appropriate living at home
In this form of living, the senior or person in need of assistance lives at home. It is important to make the apartment or house barrier-free for the affected person.
Everyday aids and also emergency watches can be a great help here. However, we will go into more detail about this later in our blog post.
2. Barrier-free home: How to live barrier-free?
Converting or rebuilding one's own home into an age-appropriate apartment is particularly important. It is not always necessary to undertake a conversion immediately.
Even small measures, such as installing non-slip mats in the bathroom and kitchen, as well as making the bathroom and toilet barrier-free with grab bars, can help seniors and people in need of assistance maintain their independence.
Especially important for age-appropriate, barrier-free living is the entrance and exit to the apartment or house. Make sure that the affected person does not have to overcome any stairs.
Threshold-free transitions are generally very important and can prevent falls.
Another prerequisite for barrier-free living is the accessibility of appliances, light switches, and sockets. Make sure that these are installed at an appropriate height and are convenient for the person in need of assistance.
Wide doors can also be a great help in case of wheelchair use or a walking aid.
In the city, but especially in the countryside, you should pay attention to age-appropriate housing. Check whether the home is connected to the local infrastructure and whether a grocery store or a doctor is nearby.
If you are planning a renovation of your home, it is best to contact companies that already have experience in designing senior-friendly apartments.
Furthermore, depending on the country and federal state, there are corresponding subsidies for age-appropriate living.
Further information can be found on the Online Platform for Austria.
Another option would be to search for a property for age-appropriate living. These apartments are specifically designed to meet the needs of seniors and people in need of assistance: They are barrier-free and handicap-accessible and feature an emergency call and fire alarm system, as well as a kitchen and a wheelchair-accessible bathroom.
Further information can be found again on the aforementioned website.
3. Everyday aids for seniors: Which ones are recommended?
From care services, to digital helpers, to emergency call systems like emergency watches - the offerings are diverse. It's easy to lose track of what makes sense here.
Here is a summary of the most important services:
Care services
Depending on the care level of the person concerned, there are various offers of professional care, but also small everyday helpers.
For people who can no longer cook or shop for themselves, there is, for example, Meals on Wheels. Here, the warm meal or the respective menu is delivered fresh to the home by, among others, the Red Cross or Malteser.
For people who require nursing services, we recommend mobile services or the social and health district services.
Professional nurses in your area will come to your home, administer medication, for example, and care for the affected person.
Digital helpers
A so-called "Smart Home", but also small digital helpers can greatly simplify the lives of people in need of assistance: With a fingertip, for example, doors can be opened, and with them, age-appropriate barrier-free living succeeds.
Automatic shut-off systems, such as for the stove, also contribute greatly to the safety of people in need of assistance.
Further options include robot vacuum cleaners, cooking automatons, and senior-friendly mobile phones.
However, there are also medical aids, such as digital pill dispensers with a reminder function.
Which digital assistance systems are useful for you or your parent depends entirely on what form of support the affected person needs or how independent the person is.
For people who frequently forget to turn off the stove, we recommend automatic shut-off devices. For people with mobility impairments, a lift or opening doors by click can be useful.
Emergency call systems
For safety and rapid assistance in case of falls, accidents, or a deterioration of health for seniors and people in need of assistance, emergency call systems are particularly useful.
These include, for example, the home emergency call system: Here, affected individuals wear a handheld transmitter in the form of a watch or necklace, or a wristband on their wrist.
By pressing the emergency button, a connection to trained paramedics is quickly established.
Another popular option is emergency watches, which we will specifically discuss in the next point.
Emergency watches: How do they help with age-appropriate living?
Emergency watches are an important tool for the safety of seniors, but also generally for people in need of assistance.
In case of a fall, a call is made to specified emergency contacts, such as family members. The watch uses a sensor to detect when a person falls.
The person then has a short time to answer the question of whether everything is alright. If the person confirms this by pressing a button, no call is made.
However, if the person does not respond or does not press the button for a certain period, e.g., 30 seconds, the first emergency contact is automatically called.
Emergency watches are therefore not only useful for age-appropriate living, but also when the person in need of assistance is out and about, for example, on a walk, while cycling, or during other outdoor activities.
This emergency call system is especially suitable for single people who enjoy living at home and are relatively independent. But also for couples.
With the help of the emergency watch, not only the safety and sense of security of the affected individuals can be strengthened, but also that of their family members or relatives.
Knowing that one's parent, relatives, or indeed oneself are safe and receiving prompt help in an emergency is of particular importance.
Conclusion
The desire to continue living at home, even in old age, is often strong among seniors and people in need of assistance.
If the affected person is still relatively independent, age-appropriate living can be a good solution here. It is particularly important to make the person's house or apartment barrier-free.
Threshold-free transitions and a barrier-free entrance and exit to the home are essential.
Everyday helpers, such as automatic shut-off systems, e.g., for the stove, but also services, such as Meals on Wheels, or mobile care services can also contribute to the safety and support of people in need of assistance in everyday life.
For certain individuals and family situations, emergency watches can be a good addition to age safely at home. The watches notify emergency contacts if the affected person does not respond after a fall or accident, or if they are not feeling well.
Emergency watches are of particular importance for the personal safety of people in need of assistance and seniors, as well as for the sense of security of family members.
