Home Safety For Senior Citizens

As with any other member of your household, elderly residents deserve protection that caters to their needs. Making your home safe for the elderly simply requires some planning and preventative precautionary measures. If you have an elderly relative living in your home - a parent, grandparent, aunt or uncle - it will be benefit everyone if you spend some time working out safety plans that take their individual needs into account.

Many seniors are, quite understandably, extremely reluctant to give up their sense of independence, which they have spent a lifetime cultivating and exercising. We all want a dignified old age, for ourselves and for our loved ones. For some families, safety may be a delicate issue, and it should be approached with respect and tact. Any sense of condescension or patronization may be taken as an unwarranted affront on independence and self-responsibility.

Objects that seem utterly benign and ordinary to us can convert into real dangers for old people. A small stoop, a loose rug, sticky door knobs, simple appliances, and slippery floors - all of these can pose difficulties to someone with arthritis, poor eyesight, or limited mobility. Most home injuries to the elderly are the result of falls, and your efforts should be concentrated on reducing the likelihood of such an occurrence. All rooms should be well-lit, and light switches easily accessible. Illuminated switches are highly recommended, as these eliminate needless and frustrating fumbling in the dark. Stairways should have adequate railings to aid in safer stair climbing. If your senior housemate has a walker or wheelchair, this obviously raises other issues that need to be dealt with. Do away with rugs and consider replacing deep carpeting with hardwood floors or with low-pile carpet that won't pose a problem to walkers and wheelchairs.

The bathroom is a maze of potential dangers, and most home injuries occur here. Your bathrooms are likely to be what requires the most work in creating a safer home for the elderly. Install grab bars in the shower and adjacent to the toilet to increase stability. Put down a slip-proof mat in the shower, and consider installing a seat if necessary. Hand-held shower heads are also useful to those with limited mobility, or for seated bathing. Even something as simple as the faucets on the sink and bath deserve your attention. Lever faucets are much easier to manipulate than turn faucets. Levers are also good because they usually combine hot and cold controls into one faucet, making it easier to adjust the water temperature.

Aside from the possibility of injury within the home, other safety measures need to be designed and implemented. It is important to have a contingency plan in case of fire, particularly if the senior in question requires a walker, wheelchair, or other assistance in order to move about. If you have a burglar alarm, it should be easy to arm and disarm. Some home security systems include remote controls or other portable devices for triggering the alarm. This can be very useful in case there is an emergency where the elderly person cannot reach a phone.

In short, home safety for the elderly depends on taking into account various infirmities and their potential impact. Focus on making your home easier to move around, thereby reducing the chance of falls. With a little planning and renovation, you can easily make your home a place that is safe for people of all ages; and improved safety for some is improved quality for all.

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