Is someone in your home dealing with a chronic or acute illness? Here are steps you can take to make your home more accommodating to caring for someone who is sick or disabled:
- Minimize clutter. Having clearer walkways, hallways, and less clutter can make trips and falls less likely.
- Wash those hands! Make sure that soap and antibacterial hand sanitzer are easily accessible in the kitchen and restrooms to prevent the spread of germs. Flu season is upon us, after all!
- Clean! It sounds pretty obvious, but cleaning is about more than appearance: it helps keep the home sanitized and disinfected. Dusting and vacuuming can also help get rid of dust mites, pollens, and other allergens, in addition to germs.
- Care for your pets. Practicing personal hygiene is crucial, but it’s also important that your pets and their areas are kept clean in order to prevent the spread of germs.
- Have emergency numbers on hand: 911, and any doctors or specialists that your family members may need to call.
- Organize! Organize your medicine cabinets and other areas where pharmaceutical or over-the-counter drugs are stored. Labels and pill containers can help to make it even easier.
- Be Prepared! It is important to have a First Aid kit on hand, and it is also wonderful if family members know the Heimlich Maneuver and/or CPR.
If a person is ill in your household, it is also important to give them privacy and space. Make sure that they have comfortable blankets and pillows, as well as access to whatever it is that they need: food, water, and ways to entertain themselves while they are under the weather.
Stocking your beautiful Paragon Homes kitchen with fresh, healthy, organic fruits and veggies is also important to managing your family’s health, as is remembering to incorporate physical fitness into your daily routine.
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Paragon Homes has been building custom homes in the Pittsburgh area for nearly 25 years. In that time they have come to be recognized as one of the premier custom home builders in Western Pa. In fact they have been honored to receive over 25 Housing Excellence Awards from the Builders and Realtors Associations of Metropolitan Pittsburgh and the Washington County Builders Association including several for New Custom Home of the Year designations. You can reach Paragon Homes at 412-787-8807, or visit us online at http://www.visitparagonhomes.com
Ashley Boynes-Shuck is a well-known blogger, author, and social media pro from Pittsburgh, PA. She was voted Best Blogger in Pittsburgh and Who to Follow on Twitter 2010, one of Pittsburgh’s Top 40 Under 40 for 2011, a 2012 Woman of the Year and Athena Young Professional awards candidate, one of Pittsburgh’s Most Influential Twitter Users by the Pittsburgh Business Times, and happily lives in a suburb of Pittsburgh with her husband, pugs, doberman, frogs, and cats! In her free time she focuses on advocacy and volunteer work, as well as rooting on the Pittsburgh sports teams!