As most adults age, they prefer to stay in their homes. One reason for this is that they feel familiar and comfortable there since it’s their home after all. But, as people age, response time and mobility reduce a bit and minor safety hazards around the home can become more prominent.
So for concerned elders and their relatives, there must be several home safety measures that can help in keeping older adults safe and comfortable in their homes.
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Let’s find out about some of them.
Protect against abuse
If your elderly family member is in-home care, there might be situations where they are abused. When such happens you must take action. One way of doing this is to seek nursing home abuse attorneys with a track record of success. They can help with your case against the nursing home.
Additionally, you can perform other safety home measures that would present abuse by:
- Not letting in strangers to your home when theory is home alone.
- Keeping the doors and windows locked at every time.
- Not sharing personal information like bank information, credit cards, social security numbers, account passwords, and other information with unknown people.
Ensure that you ask for written information about charities, prizes, or offers, and also wait before you respond after you have reviewed every piece of information.
Always have an accessible list of emergency numbers
When an emergency happens, you won’t remember some important details. Many people keep important phone numbers in their phones, and this makes it less likely to even remember them in a crisis. When an older adult is in danger or injured, you shouldn’t be scrambling to search for misplaced cell phones as this will just increase the hazard.
So, you should have a list of critical numbers in more than one visible spot as this might result in help coming sooner. It is easy to remember 911, but you should also add numbers like Poison Control Number in case of an accidental ingestion or medication mixup, health care providers, and also numbers of neighbours or friends to call in an emergency.
You should also note that his list must be accessible and visible from the inside but not in a place where someone from the outside can read it. Criminals can use the names and phone numbers of family and friends for fraudulent purposes.
Remove any risk of falls in the home
Anyone not just older adults can fall in their home. But, older adults will likely suffer injuries and fractures when they fall. They are also more likely to be living alone without the availability of immediate assistance. So, the first step to ensure that a home is safe for an older adult is to remove every fall hazard that you can think of.
To do this, you have to first find the places where slips will likely take place. Throwing rugs can be an unexpected hazard. Though they are pretty and can provide cushion during a fall, they are also flexible but aren’t stable. When your toe is caught under a rug’s edge, it could lead to a fall.
Taping a rug to your floor or carpeting can reduce this without sacrificing your style. Older adults can also fall in stairways and thresholds. So, make sure you add secure handrails and textured no-slip strips or safety steps with thread to help.
Remove things that can cause fires
Older adults might not be able to react fast or even move very quickly when a fire happens. So you must reduce the likelihood of a fire starting in the first place by having fire warning devices in your home. You can place smoke detectors close to appliances, in the bedrooms, and kitchens.
Also, check your appliances for frayed cords and have an electrician come to the home for electrical services and outlet assessments. Also, ensure that extension cords are not strung together and that outlets are not overfilled to avoid overheating and electrical shorts.
Final Words
There is an increasing number of older adults who live independently. So, you must ensure that they are safe at home. Burns falls, and poisonings are some of the most common accidents that involve older people.
Additionally, older adults who lie alone can also be victims of criminals targeting older people. So, if you are an older adult who lives on your own or you care for an older adult, then the above-mentioned tips should be able to guide you.