Keeping Your Senior Safe At Home

In today’s world not only are people living longer, but many seniors have chosen to try to continue living in their own home (“aging in place“), or they are moving in with one of their adult children, rather than moving into a senior community.  According to the NCOA (National Council on Aging), in seniors over the age of 65, 1 out of 4 fall each year.

If you are bringing an aging loved one to live in your home, or if they are continuing to live in their own home, there are some things you can do to minimize their chance of falling.

Safety Tips to Help Prevent Falls:

• First and foremost, declutter…this is often difficult for a senior, getting rid of their possessions can be a challenging task , but decluttering will give them less to trip on.
• You can help them avoid tripping by
  • either removing small area rugs, or making sure their edges are secured to the floor
  • repair frayed edges of carpets
• Have clear walking paths throughout the home by arranging furniture in a way that allows for easy access. Your senior should not try to navigate through a furniture or accessory maze.
• This should be an absolute for any home, but make sure that electrical cords are unobtrusive and definitely not crossing a walk way.
• Be sure to have a night light in the bedroom to help avoid falls in the middle of the night.
• Check the stairway handrails to make sure they are solidly secured, and if possible, have a handrail on both sides of the stairs.
• Safety in the bathroom is of the utmost importance:
  • Have bars installed in the tub to aid in getting in and out, in the shower in case of loss of balance, and next to the toilet to assist in standing.
  • Have non-slip mats in both showers and bathtubs.
  • Keep a waterproof shower chair in the shower.
  • If possible, have a high-profile toilet installed.
• Insure that the lighting in your home is bright enough to see well, but not so bright that it causes glare.
• Encourage your senior to engage in some type of regular, moderate exercise. Not only will that promote muscle and joint health, but it will also strengthen balance.

But falling isn’t the only accident than an elderly can experience. There are several accidents just waiting to happen in every home:

Safety Around the House:

• Elderly people can get confused and take the wrong medication at the wrong time, or forget to take it at all…keep all medicines in their original containers, and if possible have large-print labels on them. In the case of your senior having dementia, keep all medicines in a secure place, so you are the only one who can get to them.
• As with medicines, cleaning supplies and home chemicals can be  deadly, make sure they too are in a secure place.

Here is a great safety checklist for your home provided by Home Instead Senior Care.

We are Certified Senior Move Managers recognized by our National Association of Senior Move Managers, NASSM! We are committed to serving our seniors with a high standard of ethics, best business practices and continuing education to help make whatever transition they are going through a Smooth Transition.

Contact us to learn how we can help you and/or your family cope with a senior downsizing anywhere in the Phoenix East Valley area. We would love to serve you. 480-339-0011