If your loved one's ability to do things on his own is decreasing, you may begin to worry for his safety. Ensuring his home is suitable for his needs is important to eliminate the risk of danger or injury when he is alone. Additionally, if he will be moving into your home, you may have to make changes to accommodate his declining mobility, impaired eyesight, or lack of coordination.
The following safety tips and suggestions will help you ensure your parent or relative is safe and comfortable at home.
General safety
- Keep important phone numbers posted clearly. Print a list of all essential emergency numbers in large, easy-to-read, bold-faced type and post it next to the home telephone. If your loved one has trouble seeing, consider purchasing a telephone with extra-large numbers.
- Prepare for emergencies. Map out clear fire escape routes and keep an extinguisher in an easily accessible location. Make sure you have fire alarms and carbon monoxide detectors placed in every area of the home and check their batteries regularly.
- Consider an intercom or medical alert system. If you will be living with your elderly parent or relative, installing an intercom system can be useful to ensure your loved one can easily call for help when needed. If she will be remaining alone in her own home, a medical alert system can make calling for help easy in case of a fall or other emergency.
Limit injuries
As a senior citizen, even a simple fall could result in a severe and painful injury. Decreased mobility, slower reflexes and even medication side-effects can put your loved one at an increased risk for sustaining a fall. The following will help you prevent the likelihood of a fall in your home or your loved one's home:
- Remove all common safety hazards around the house. What may appear to be a harmless home is likely riddled with potential dangers to an elderly resident. Remove any loose or buckled carpeting, secure loose wires, rearrange furniture to create wide, clear pathways, and remove any raised doorway thresholds. Eliminate clutter and stray items on the floor.
- One-level lodgings are optimal with impaired mobility. If your loved one has trouble getting around, he should ideally live in a one-level residence. If not, you should try to contain his activities to one floor. For example, if he will be moving into your home, making sure his sleeping quarters and a useable bathroom are downstairs will limit the possibility of injury.
- Make the stairs safer. If climbing stairs in his daily routine is unavoidable, reflective strips on the edge of the staircase will help prevent a fall. Light switches should also be installed at both the top and bottom of the staircase, and stairs should have no-slip surfaces.
- Use impact-absorbent floor surfaces. Rubber flooring can prevent serious injury if an unfortunate fall should occur.
- Use color schemes with striking contrasts. Painting or decorating using sharply contrasting color combinations (such as complementary colors) can aid poor vision, help your loved one with his depth perception and assist him in the recognition of entrances and doorways.
- Use non-slip floor wax. Slick floors can cause painful falls at any age. Slower reflexes make the possibility of slipping and sustaining serious injury even greater. Use non-slip floor wax and insist your loved one refrain from walking on floors in socks. Slippers with no-skid grip on the soles are a safe yet comfortable alternative.
Bathroom safety
The majority of accidents occur in the bathroom, which is unfortunately when your loved one is alone and most vulnerable. Prevent the possibility of bathroom injuries by:
- Installing a level-entry shower. Climbing over the edge of a bathtub greatly increases the risk of a damaging fall. A shower stall with a level floor surface will allow your loved one to easily walk inside.
- Installing hand rails. Putting stabilizing hand rails around the toilet and in the shower can help support your loved one in case she loses her footing. Bathroom floors (especially shower floors) can be wet and are often very slippery.
- Using nightlights in the bathroom. If she needs to use the bathroom in the middle of the night when the house is dark, a nightlight will help her see her way.
- Skid-proofing the shower floor/tub. Use non-skid mats in the shower to prevent slips. You can also place these mats outside the shower, such as in front of the toilet and sink, to make moving around the bathroom easier.
- Installing a shower chair. A shower bench or chair can give tired legs a rest and further decrease the chance of a slippery shower fall.
Kitchen safety
Sharp objects, fire hazards and slick surfaces can make the kitchen a dangerous place for the elderly. If your loved one will be making his own meals, take the following measures to ensure his safety:
- Store hazardous items separate from food. Make sure all cleaning products or toxic chemicals are secured safely away from any food products to eliminate the risk of confusion.
- Keep common items in an easy-to-reach cabinets. Don't store everyday food items or supplies in a hard-to-reach place or floor level cabinet. Mid-height storage is optimal for elderly to limit the need for reaching and bending.
- Make the stove safe. Label stove and oven controls clearly so they are easily visible. Gas ranges should have a pilot light and automatic shut-off. Make sure there are no towels, curtains, or other items in the stovetop's proximity that could create a fire hazard.
- Store sharp knives in a rack. Rather than leave sharp knives lying with exposed blades in a drawer, store them in a rack or butcher block with only their blunt handles protruding.
Medication safety
If your loved one is taking various types of medication, it's imperative to ensure she takes them correctly and on time. Help her by:
- Making sure medicines are clearly labeled. Ensuring your loved one takes the right medicine and the correct dose is crucial to prevent serious complications. If she has impaired eyesight, re-label prescription medications with all pertinent information (name of medication, purpose, dose, and other important specifications) in larger, easier to read type. Reading medicine labels in sufficient light will also increase legibility.
- Disposing of any old or used medicines. Help your loved one keep her medicine cabinet organized. Make sure she correctly disposes of expired medications to limit confusion and prevent her from ingesting old pills.
- Checking with the doctor or pharmacist before mixing non-prescription drugs and prescription drugs. If your loved one is considering taking any new non-prescription drugs for any reason, be sure to advise that she speaks with her doctor or pharmacist first to find out about any possible complications, side effects or reactions.