Most seniors would choose to live independently at home and enjoy their time of retirement. However, do our seniors at home have the everyday competence for independent living? First, what is everyday competence? It describes the senior’s potential ability to perform various activities that are important in living independently at home. The term everyday competence has many different aspects that are important in the assessment of the functioning of seniors whether it is to improve functional abilities or hinder them.ㅤㅤ

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Home or environmental assessments are particularly essential in the safety of seniors at home, not only in the identification of risk factors for falls, but the identification of safety, functioning, and overall quality of life of seniors, either positively or negatively. Are the seniors fit to their current environment at home or does the environment need some improvement or safety modification with the ultimate goal of enhancing their quality of life? For example, proper lighting is important for seniors to enjoy activities they love, such as reading and other hobbies. This is the same with the regulation of temperature at home, not only for safety concerns of being too warm (possibility of Hyperthermia) or too cold (Hypothermia) but also for the senior’s comfort at home. In Canada, a document has been developed by canada.ca which is a guide for seniors’ home safety.

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Reference

Hirst, P. S., Lane, M. A., & Miller, A. C. (2015). Miller’s nursing for wellness in older adults. Wolters Kluwer.