Safety at home is a primary goal throughout life. There’s a consistent need to take action around the house to keep it safe and secure at every age. However, the needs shift and change when you grow older.
It’s important to keep up with the changes. Seniors need a little more protection in and around their home, and here are a few ways you can have a hand in creating the safety needed.
Consider what is really needed
The first thing you have to do to work towards a safer home space is to consider the full scope of need. What do you or your senior loved one really need to be safe at home? Sometimes the answer is to find a new home, rather than fixing or adding things.
You might need to research an assisted living facility for the safest living situation. The need can get too large to manage independently, and that is when it’s time to find a suitable space with trained professionals on hand to help.
Upgrade lighting in the home
Light is an important element of safety in any home, especially for seniors. Getting older often means that your vision isn’t quite what it used to be. Injuries are harder to recover from too, so it’s vital that there are plenty of well lit paths throughout the house.
Start by adding night lights throughout the house in strategic locations like the bedroom, bathroom, and hallway. Adding lighting in the kitchen is also wise, so a midnight snack doesn’t turn into a midnight run to the first aid kit.
Adding safety to the bathroom
The bathroom is ground zero for a large number of senior injuries each year. Falling in the bathroom can really do some damage, so it’s important to reinforce grabs and pulls for safety.
Add strong grab bars in the shower and nearby the toilet. The shower could also use some non-skid inserts to provide a little more stability when water is added to the equation.
Avoiding slips and falls
If you don’t have carpet all throughout the house, slipping can be a danger. A simple dropped ice cube in the kitchen could cause trouble later in the day. Be mindful of spills, clean them up immediately, and utilize Modern PVC Tablecloths.
Keep the floors and pathways free of debris like stray shoes or children’s toys. You could also consider reorganizing furniture to minimize bumps, bruises, and stubbed toes.
Consider emergency assistance devices
Today’s technology is an excellent assistant when you’re working to create a safer space for seniors. Wearable devices can help in many ways. Sometimes they are good for location services, especially when there’s a risk of wandering. Wearable devices also help when there is a medical emergency in progress.
