8 Tips for Making Your House Safer

If you have an elderly loved one living at home, you probably want to do anything you can to keep them safe. Major falls can be potentially life-threatening and frequent with elderly people. There are a few ways you can help to avoid such a scary catastrophe with a few tips.

• Lighting their way

Taking a little time at night to check for dark areas in the house can potentially save your loved one’s life. Place outlet night lights or sensor lights in hallways and areas your senior frequents in the evening hours.

If you are comfortable enough you can even ask them where they need more lighting because recognizing their input shows you care.

• Door Knobs Matter

Many elderly people have issues with their grip. This can be due to a variety of health issues from arthritis to Parkinson’s disease.

One of the nicest things you can do for your loved one is replacing the round shaped door knobs with lever style door knobs to alleviate the struggle for them and avoid them being trapped in a room because they may not be able to get out. It can also boost their self-confidence.

• Hallways Helping Hand

Hallways are generally one of the areas where senior accidents happen. That means this area is likely a very important place to pay attention to.
In addition to lighting safety, you can add treads to all stairs to help prevent falls or slipping.

Check the handrails in the hallway for possible sturdiness problems, change the height if needed to make them more accessible, and add additional railing if your loved one needs it.

• Floor Rugs are Hazardous

If you have any floor rugs in your home you may want to do a couple of things to make them safer. Rugs can slide under anyone’s feet but take into account balance issues your loved one may or may not have.

Using non-slip rugs or mats in your kitchen and bathroom can avoid frightening falls in slippery areas. Secure any area rugs you may have in other rooms with tape and try to pay special attention to the corners that can be a major culprit for tripping.

• Bathroom Safety

The bathroom is a likely culprit of falls and injury for elderly loved ones and you will need shower safety equipment along with a couple other things.

In addition to non-slip mats in front of your toilet, tub, and sink, you will also want to try to have non-skid mats in the bathtub or shower.
Anywhere water might accumulate is probably going to need a non-slip or non-skid mat. Since falls are prevalent in this area you can add handrails with grips in the bathtub and beside the toilet.

• Removing Clutter 

Clutter can come in many shapes and forms. An elderly person with limited movement or eye impairment can easily stumble on or into clutter and be seriously hurt.

A simple thing you may want to do is keep children’s toys out of common areas by having a toy chest. 

Another form of clutter you may not think of is wires and cables. Secure those by attaching them to the baseboards or walls and possibly use ties to keep them from coming loose.  

• Kitchen Care

The kitchen is a dangerous place but your loved one may love cooking and you may not want them to stop.

Anti-slip mats are only one way to assist in security. You can buy anti-burning devices and timers that automatically shut off for the stove and oven.

Another great tip is to adjust the organization of the cabinets by trying to move anything they may need to use to waist level as to avoiding too much bending over.

You may want to buy water temperature regulators to possibly prevent your loved one from being scalded by hot water. Nerve damage from ailments like diabetes can prevent them from even realizing they are being scalded.
Adding benches in a tub or shower can be a major factor in keeping your loved one from falling from a greater height or from falling at all. Not to mention having a bench can feel luxurious to them and help them relax to possibly relieve pain.