Safety Tips For Seniors Living At Home

Safety Tips for Seniors – Living Independently

It is important for Seniors Living at Home who wish to remain at home for as long as possible, to take a walk through their homes and see what items need to be attended to, as a safety precaution, after all, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Here are a few Safety Tips for Seniors Living at Home.

DeClutter

Safety Tips for Seniors – Tip #1
Declutter your home. Get rid of cumbersome furniture and items that will be in the way when you need more space. Clear walkways and pathways and be sure that you can get around your home without the possibility of tripping or hurting yourself. If you want to remain at home as long as you can, then it would be a good idea to imagine a walking stick, walking frame, or wheelchair being able to navigate your home. You want to keep your independence as long as possible and this could be your opportunity to plan ahead.

Lighting

Safety Tips for Seniors – Tip#2
Make sure all rooms are well lit. Rather have a central room light so that you can see well and avoid lights that are set above the fan as you get a strobe effect and that can be really dangerous

Check the lighting outside so that you don’t trip or fall on pathways or driveway

Make sure you have luminous numbers on your home and letter box, it makes for easy spotting at night. Not only is it better for you to find your own home with ease at night, but also in the case of an emergency, your home is easy to find.

Light up stairwells and door entrances from outside. The door jamb is sometimes raised a little and you don’t want to trip over them. Inside areas should be fine and perhaps highlight any areas with luminous tape or change the surface and have it smoothed over, so there is no chance of tripping and falling.

Hand Rails and Grab Bars

Safety Tips for Seniors – Tip#3
It is important to check the Hand Rails and Grab Bars regularly to make sure they are sturdy and supported. Walk around the house and decide now while you are able-bodied to see where you may need more rails. It may be a good idea to think about putting in a wheelchair ramp or at least have a number handy and an estimation on what it will cost to add one at a later stage.

Rugs and Mats

Safety Tips for Seniors – Tip#4
Check out the loose rugs and mats throughout the house and check that they are not on slippery surfaces. Sometimes mats start to curl on the edges and you don’t want those to become a reason for a fall. Carpets on carpets tend to creep a bit and can cause a bulge, be sure you need those as they are a big cause of accidents.

Door Handles and Tap Handles

Safety Tips for Seniors – Tip#5
Your hands may not be as strong as you age and you may find that turning door handles and taps can become difficult to turn. With that in mind, maybe you could consider replacing those handles with pulldown or latch types so that you don’t have that worry.

Emergency Numbers

Safety Tips for Seniors – Tip#6
Have a list of emergency numbers in each room, preferably in an easy-to-reach place. If you have a fall, you may want to be able to call for help and it would be useless if the numbers were on the top of a cabinet if you are not able to reach them.

Fire Safety

Safety Tips for Seniors – Tip#7
Know where your fire extinguishers are and make sure to have them tested regularly. The batteries in your fire alarm need to be changed regularly and if you are not able to do it yourself, have someone come in regularly to check them for you. Add a carbon monoxide detector installed in your home – you can never be too safe!

Have an electrician in to check your systems to make sure that there is nothing amiss and that your home is still safe and will be for many years to come.
Make sure that the dials on your Stove and other electrical equipment is still legible and possibly even consider adding a color dot or similar to distinguish the off place on the dial and the off stroke should meet. It’s important to check that they are switched off, for your own safety.

These important Safety Tips for Seniors are a bid for you to keep your independence for longer (and you may be completely able-bodied right now) its a good idea to think about your aging self now and plan accordingly.

When you are not able to take care of yourself or perhaps even your loved one anymore, we at Senior Care Carolinas have some wonderful living opportunities in residential homes in the suburbs surrounding Charlotte NC – If you would like to tour our Assisted Living homes and to chat to the residents, we welcome you. Find out more about our Residential Houses Here.