Senior Safety: 5 Tips to Create a Safer Home Geared Towards Independence

Creating a safe home for seniors is essential if they want to remain independent at home. Here are 5 tips that can help you create a safer space for your aging loved one. 

Creating and maintaining a safe home for seniors isn't always easy due to a wide range of potential hazards. Taking the time to thoroughly inspect a home is essential to reduce possible dangers while also making it more convenient for homeowners to safely perform daily tasks. By staying proactive to take care of potentially unsafe conditions in the home you can reduce stress while also minimizing the chance of any injuries.

Here are a few ways you can create a safer home for seniors. 

1) Eliminate Tripping Hazards to Create a Safer Home for Seniors 

Looking at ways to reduce tripping hazards is critical for seniors living at home. Falls in the home are one of the main causes of injury to seniors and can often result in broken bones and lengthy hospital stays. Common clutter in the home that can become a fall hazard are decorative rugs on the floor, piles of clutter such as magazines, boxes, and pet toys or bedding, and extension or power chords that stretch into the walkway. Cluttered, broken or steep stairs are also extremely dangerous. Help create a more open environment to make it easier to move safely in the home.

2) Reduce Fire Dangers

A fire is a major hazard for seniors living at home, and understanding how to reduce fire dangers is essential to safety and peace of mind. Inspecting appliance electrical cords is a good idea to ensure no wires are frayed or damaged. Make sure space heaters are at least 3 feet apart from other items and do not run unattended. You can further stay proactive against fire dangers by regularly changing the batteries in the working smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors and ensure a working fire extinguisher is in the home.

3) Keep Emergency Phone Numbers Nearby

An emergency can happen at any time, as it's important for a senior to contact someone if they need help. Creating a note of emergency contacts near each phone will make it much easier for a senior to reach out without having to find these numbers on the phone. Schedule regular check-ins with a loved one to ensure everything is going well. Personal emergency response systems, such as a bracelet, pendant, or fall sensor, can summon help and alert loved ones around the clock if a senior is unable to get to or operate a phone during certain emergencies.

4) Create a Safe Bathroom for Seniors

Falls are a common occurrence in a bathroom. Bathroom safety is a must for seniors. Installing grab bars near the toilet and inside the shower is helpful in giving seniors more stability and confidence. Putting rubber mats in the bathtub or shower is also an effective way to reduce the chance of slipping. Further, using a shower bench and hand-held shower head are inexpensive supports that make it much easier for seniors to safely shower without fear of falling or fatigue. 

5) Improve Lighting

Darkened areas within a home create safety hazards for seniors, Quality lightning can help reduce danger. as it's important to always change out any burnt-out light bulbs. You may want to consider adding new light fixtures in parts of the home that doesn't receive enough light. Installing motion detection lighting outside and inside the house is also beneficial, as it doesn't require anyone to flip a switch. 

Free Senior Home Safety Review

Many seniors often want to live at home and retain their independence. Looking at ways to create a safer home for your senior loved one is an excellent way to stay proactive and help you avoid many different problems, and we can help. 

As part of our Comfort Keepers free in-home assessment, we also complete a home safety review that includes checking appliances, fire extinguishers and smoke detectors, looking for tripping hazards, cluttered hallways, or unsafe stairs, determining if an escape route is planned, reviewing any pet safety scenarios, and gauging the overall condition of the home.