Elderly Safety: Home Safety Tips for Older Adults

Busy work schedules and current interstate work transfers have led to an upsurge in the number of older adults living alone. Therefore, it is important to invest in quality elderly safety measures to ensure that your loved ones are safe always. Seniors are less stable meaning that they are highly prone to falls and burns when cooking. Unfortunately, criminals also target older people because they are less likely to fight them. So, if your elderly family member lives alone, here are a few things you can do to ensure that they are always safe. 

Ensure that emergency numbers are readily available

If you live hours apart with your older family member, it is important to keep a list of emergency numbers within reach. It is advisable to have them next to the home telephone since the elderly may not be swift enough to locate the list and access the telephone on time during an emergency. Also, the numbers should be large enough in size; just in case your loved one develops sight problems they would read the numbers with ease when frightened. List numbers for; health care providers, a family member who lives close by, local poison control center and 911. 

Prevent falls

Falls are common among the elderly because they are less stable. They easily lose balance when walking or rushing to answer the phone. If highly prone to falls, it is important to invest in elderly safety devices like a special necklace or bracelet alarm that they can press to raise the alarm or call in emergency service providers. Also, make sure that the area around the phone is clear and non-cluttered. If they cannot walk without holding onto walls or furniture, buy a walker or cane for them. 

Prevent fire and related dangers

The first and most important step to prevent fires and related dangers is installing smoke and carbon monoxide detectors all over an elderly’s house. Since you older loved ones may not be very conversant with new electrical appliances, ensure that the appliances are in good working conditions and replace fraying cords. 

Bathroom hazards

Most seniors fall in bathrooms due to slippery floors. So, place rubber mats to prevent slipping or install bathroom tiles that are not as slippery as regular tiles. Also, avoid scalding by setting the water heater to a maximum high of 120 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Prevent poisoning

Older adults are highly prone to different types of poisoning especially medication poisoning. Due to their sight issues and sometimes loss of memory, they can easily forget the right medications and dosage. Meaning that they can easily overdose or consume the wrong medication leading to poisoning. So, keep all medications that are not in use away and each medication should be stored in a unique container and clearly labeled. 

Bottom line

The elderly are part of us and must be taken care of despite the busy schedules that you may be facing. Above are just a few examples of the elderly safety strategies you can incorporate. However, different home plans and neighborhoods pose different safety threats that you must address.