Home Safety Checklist: Three (3) Basic Tips To Keep Your Home Safe For The Elderly

More accidents happen at homes than anywhere else. Top causes include falling, poisoning, fire and burns, drowning, and airway obstructions such as choking, suffocation and strangulation. Needless to say, safety should be a primary concern in every household.

How To Keep Your Home Safe For The Elderly

Studies show that every year, there are approximately 4000 deaths as a result of a home accident. Around 120 of these are below 15 whereas 1300 are over 75 years old. As such, it is imperative to conduct a thorough inspection to ensure that your DMCIhome is a comfortable and safe place to live in. Here are three (3) basic tips to keep it elderly-proof.

1.       Get rid of all possible hazards around your DMCI residence.

·        Furniture and fixture. Remove everything that is not needed. Give enough space for a walker or wheelchair. Once the elder person has gotten used to the arrangement, make sure that you keep it as is so he or she will no longer have a need to adjust. Put heavy ones that will not easily move when leaned on.

·        Cords and wires. Move the electrical and phone cords out of the walking pathway. Tape or tack them to the walls if necessary.

·        Floors. Eliminate clutter on the floor that may lead to tripping. If there are spills, ensure that you wipe them up immediately and finish up with a nonskid wax. Do remember that most seniors have problems with balance and eyesight so it is only sensible to maintain very neat surroundings in all rooms. Repair uneven floorings and loose hardwood or tiles.

·        Doors and windows. Adjust rapidly-closing door or windows that require complicated maneuverings.

2.       Make things simpler.

·        Lights. Light up the hallways, bedroom and bathroom. Opt for those that provide indirect or no-glare lighting. Install the switches in a way that it can be turned on prior to entering a room. Use automatic nightlights in areas where night activities are most commonly held. As for bedside lamps, go for brighter bulbs, perhaps with 100 to 150 wattages.

·        Bench. Put a bench near the room entrances for resting purposes.

·        Cabinets and shelves. Place the items that are frequently used on lower shelves to make it quickly accessible. Add cushioning to the sharp corners of chairs, cabinets and vanities.

·        Stairs. Add sturdy handrails to stairways for extra support. Paint the first and last step with different colors to guide the elder person that he or she is near the edge.

·        Emergency numbers. Have a print-out of all the people to contact in case of emergencies. Make the font huge, bold-faced and easy to read. Scatter them around the house and near the phone area. 

·        Emergency options. Setup a clear fire-escape route. Position fire extinguishers in most common places – kitchen, laundry room, basement, near bedrooms and garage. Install smoke and carbon monoxide alarms on every floor.

   

3.       Buy products and equipment that are elderly-friendly.

·        Select phones with larger numbers, have speaker or hands-free capabilities.

·        Choose talking clocks, wristwatches and other items for those with poor vision.

·        Setup monitors and intercoms.

·        Configure an emergency response system that will summon help automatically.

·        Make the bathroom ultra-friendly – riser for toilet seats, hand-held shower head, and bath benches.

·        Create an easy cooking and dining experience – kitchen implements to easily open cans and bottles, peel, cut and dice veggies; custom dinnerware to enable eating with one hand.