During the holidays, it’s common to bring along an elderly parent on your vacation. Whether you are traveling to visit another family member for the weekend or finally taking that trip to Mexico, taking your senior parent with you is a great way to create new memories with them and reminisce about old ones. The quality time you get with your parents during a vacation is absolutely worth your time; however, there are precautions you will need to take, particularly when it comes to their home security. Leaving your senior parent’s home empty makes it more vulnerable to intruders, which is both a security and safety concern. Fortunately, there are some steps you can take before the trip to better protect against the risk of a break in, giving both you and your parent greater peace of mind so you can enjoy your time away.

Don’t Announce Your Trip to the World

These days, it’s typical for people to share everything on social media. While there is nothing wrong with wanting to use these platforms to connect with your friends and family, you don’t know exactly who is reading your status update. Keep the fact that your parent’s home will be empty quiet and only tell the people who need to know, such as your immediate family members or the neighbors who can keep an eye on the property. You may also tell your private home health care provider, who can call you if they notice anything suspicious if they are nearby.

Secure the House

Particularly here in Naples where the weather is beautiful year-round, it’s common to leave your doors and windows open to allow in a nice breeze. However, this can make it easy to forget that you have left one open, giving intruders access to your home. Before you leave the house, walk around and make sure every door and window is secured. You may also consider additional security measures, such as motion-sensor outdoor lights, security cameras, or barriers in front of doors from opening.

Make it Look Like You’re Home

One of the best ways you can avoid intruders from even noticing your house is to make it appear as though you are home when you’re not. For example, you can add a timer to your parent’s lights. Nowadays, there are even smartphone apps you can download that allow you to control your lights remotely, so you could turn them on and off from your vacation at random.

One surefire sign that will let criminals know that you are gone on vacation is mail piling up. Avoid this by stopping your parent’s mail and newspapers for the period of time you are gone. Alternatively, you could have someone you trust stop by and take the mail in; this has the added bonus of creating more activity around your house, which will dissuade intruders from targeting the home.

Hopefully, these tips will allow you and your parent to relax and enjoy your vacation. If you are looking for private home care in Naples, contact Gulf Shore Private Home Care.