BAPTIST
MANOR
COMFORTABLE
AFFORDABLE
LIVING FOR SENIORS
IN BUFFALO
• Newly Renovated Apartments
• On-Site Beauty Salon
• Free Wi-Fi
• Free on-site parking
• Protected by Security System
881-1120
276 Linwood Ave.
www.baptist-manor.org
“ Embrace seasons past…
Begin life anew.”
Aging in Place:
Growing Old at Home
“The stairs are getting so hard to climb.”
“Since my wife died, I just open a can of soup for dinner.”
“I’ve lived here 40 years. No other place will seem like home.”
Assisted Living Community
410 Mill Street ~ Williamsville
716.632.3000
www.park-creek.com
T
hese are common issues for
older people. You may share
the often-heard wish — “I
want to stay in my own home!” The
good news is that with the right help,
your parent might be able to do just that.
Staying in your own home as you get
older is called “aging in place.”
Planning Ahead to Stay
in One’s Own Home
Planning ahead is hard because you
never know how a person’s needs might
change due to health issues, and every-
one’s family situation is different.
~ Three home-cooked meals
~ Stimulating social,
educational & recreational
activities
~ Personalized care &
medication management
~ Affordable Memory Care
Program
~ Now Offering Enhanced Care
28 WNY Family March 2020
If you have a large extended fam-
ily living nearby and willing to help, it
will provide your parent with a sizeable
“safety net” as they begin to need more
help with their daily activities. If you
live far away from your parent, and he
or she lives alone, with few friends or
neighbors, planning for outside help is
almost a given, unless you can convince
your parent to relocate closer to you.
Perhaps the best way to stay in one’s
own home is to take action before the ab-
solute need arises, making the home safe
and easily navigable on the inside, and
finding services that can help your parent
navigate the world outside more easily.
Here are a few things you can work on
gradually to help your parent do just that:
• De-clutter and rearrange the con-
tents of cabinets, drawers, and closets
to make everything easier to access. Put
frequently used items within easy reach.
Replace heavy dishes, pots and pans
with lighter versions. Add items like ex-
tended-reach grabbers, jar-lid openers, a
shower bench, a higher toilet, and grab
bars in the shower.
• Every year, 1 in 4 adults over age
65 take a fall. Remove throw rugs and
repair any other trip hazards like loose
carpeting or raised areas of flooring.
Keep steps clear. Make sure that all entry
doors to the house and garage have prop-
erly working, easy to turn locks, and that
all steps and porches have railings that
are secure. And have a diplomatic chat
with your parent about their footwear;
it’s time to get rid of loose, floppy slip-
pers, shoes with slippery soles, or those
with heels to high too walk safely.
• Discuss whether there is a room on
the first floor that could be turned into a
bedroom if needed.