SENIOR CARE

Care for the elderly is often compared to childcare. Older people often have difficulty moving, and even a seemingly harmless fall can land them in the hospital. But taking care of children is somewhat easier. Children are developing their character and, in most cases, listen to their caregivers. Seniors, on the other hand, are people with a long-established worldview who want to be independent and live as comfortably as possible for as long as possible. That is why caring for them sometimes requires sensitivity and discretion so they do not feel offended.

It is worth providing a safe surface in places where older people are present. This is especially true near hospitals, clinics and nursing homes. Anyone familiar with safety surfaces from playgrounds knows what they look like. These surfaces are softer than traditional walkways or paving stones. Falling on such a surface is less dangerous. The unfortunate person suffers fewer injuries as the flexible plastic absorbs the impact. Safe surfaces have non-slip properties, so older adults can feel safer even on rainy or frosty days.

How to prepare a safe surface so that older people do not feel treated like small children? It is simple. Instead of laying yards and paths with colourful, childish-looking tiles found on playgrounds, it is better to use rubber pavers. The rubber paver is similar to a normal paving stone but meets all the requirements for safe surfaces. Rubber pavers are available in many subdued colours – some older people will not even notice that they are not regular paving stones. They can be used to create elegant, aesthetically appealing patterns. In this respect, they do not differ from the traditional paving stones. The rubber paving stones are also often bought by private individuals to discreetly care for the health of older people on their own terraces or gardens.