Looking to keep your elderly loved ones safe around the pool?
Do they struggle to get in and out of the pool independently?
Here are 3 helpful tips:
1. Really get to Know Your Relative’s State of Health
If your relative has a serious health condition, you probably already know about it. But sometimes, they are taking a certain medication that we might not be aware of. This factor can be an important one. As physicians commonly remark, meds can have a more profound effect on seniors than they do on younger people. For example, the effect of a sedative may be more pronounced because the person’s body processes the med slower.
It is a great idea to be aware of any and all medications, and to research the side effects.
Having a good understanding of the person’s health allows you to monitor them more accurately when near the pool. It can truly contribute to keeping the elderly safe around the pool.
2. Educate Your Relative About the Pool
Another tip that helps keeps the elderly safe around the pool is a simple one: educate your loved one about the potential dangers of the pool site. If your loved one has the cognizance to converse with you, and they retain a clear memory of what was said, educate them about the potential danger of entering the pool site alone. It can go a long way toward preventing them from doing it. This tip is especially crucial if the person regularly walks the exterior of your property alone.
When educating your relative about the potential dangers of accessing the pool site on their own, try not to use scare tactics. Simply explain that, if they were to accidentally fall into the water, and no one was there to help them, there might be no way for them to easily reach safety. Again, this tip is specifically aimed at elders who have the capacity to understand and remember what is said.
3. Implement Strong Pool Safety Barriers
Regardless of your relative’s overall state of health, implementing swimming pool barriers provides the greatest assurance. This is the most essential strategy for pool safety for seniors, and there are three basic types of barriers that you can get from A Safe Pool to establish a strong perimeter:
- Removable Pool Fencing – Removable pool fencing slides into drilled holes around the pool to provide a complete barrier to entry. The fencing is comprised of mesh panels that allow you to look through them and see your swimming pool clearly. The drilled holes are covered with color-coordinated caps whenP the fence is removed.
- Pool Safety Nets – Pool safety nets have square holes that are too small for the head or body of an infant or toddler to slip through. The highly durable netting makes it practically impossible for your elderly loved one to move past the barrier.
- Pool Safety Covers – Pool safety covers contain no holes and completely overlay the pool surface with an opaque barrier. When properly installed, the barrier is so resilient that an adult can walk across it, without the barrier tearing and allowing a person to fall into the swimming pool. The cover can also serve as a leaf pool cover.
A Safe Pool customizes these safety barriers based on a firsthand inspection of your site, so they conform to the specific measurements of the area. Inspections and estimates are free.
There are several ways to enhance pool safety for seniors, but the most foolproof strategy is to outfit your pool with a strong safety barrier during hours of nonuse. If your elderly loved one happens to enter the pool area alone, barriers from A Safe Pool provide great assurance that the person will not become the victim of a drowning accident. We proudly supply swimming pool safety barriers to all U.S. locations. Please contact us today to schedule a free estimate.
