Making A Home Safer For An Elderly Family Member Part I

By Author: Kevin Bush
Total Articles: 14
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Making sure an elderly family member's living situation is as safe as possible offers significant peace of mind for everyone involved in their daily care. Often, especially if one has lived in a place for many years, it is easy to lose sight of obvious hazards, or overlook them entirely. Making a home safe for a senior family member requires a careful eye and great vigilance considering that things we take for granted every day can become dangerous as we age.The most common issues faced by the elderly are those affecting mobility. There are numerous causes of mobility impairment, but one or more will eventually be an issue for many seniors as they age. Identifying potential hazards and correcting as many of these as possible is critical in order to maintain a safe household where falls and accidents are minimized or eliminated.Stairs present a serious safety issue. Wherever possible, it pays to eliminate the need to use them. In a multiple storey house, moving a bedroom to the first floor can make an upper floor unneeded except for storage or housing guests. Other options include the addition of banisters on both sides of the ...
... stairs, specialized rubber padding for improved traction, and the installation of an automatic chair when necessary.Similarly, make trips down the basement steps unnecessary when possible. Keep some commonly used tools -a hammer, screwdrivers, pliers, repair materials like fasteners - in a kitchen drawer. Bring up stored foodstuffs to a pantry. If the laundry area is in the basement, make laundry part of your senior care arrangements, or consider moving the equipment upstairs. Additionally, in cases of emergency - a tripped circuit breaker, for instance - make sure a good flashlight is always within reach and that the stairway is clear, has good traction, and strong handrails.If some stairs are unavoidable - sunken living rooms, for instance - make sure there are good strong railings, and that the steps themselves are free of carpeting and are covered with a non-slip material. Ramps can sometimes be a solution, but only if the pitch is low and they are well equipped with railings on either side.Exterior stairs need to be well lit, and always kept clear of snow and ice and well-sanded in cold climates that receive frost, snow, sleet, freezing rain or hail. Exterior pathways can also pose a hazard during an inclement weather, so consider having mail delivered to the door instead of to a box at the street.While evaluating any potential risks in the home, walk from room to room and watch for tripping hazards such as torn carpeting, a lose piece of floor trim, or the upturned edge of a rug. Throw rugs that are not securely taped to the floor should be secured immediately or discarded. Inspect old wall-to-wall carpeting for tears or stretched/uplifted fibers that one can catch a toe or heel on.When we're young and agile, furniture that juts out into frequently traveled pathways is easy to maneuver around, but this isn't the case when mobility is restricted. Coffee-tables, end tables, floor lamps, hat racks, badly situated chairs and other types of seemingly harmless furniture can be a hazard if not placed at a safe distance from high-traffic areas in the home.A fresh pair of eyes is always helpful when analyzing a home for safety of a senior family member. Fortunately, most professional in home care providers have been trained to spot hazards and help you address them. You can use such services as a significant resource as you strive to make an elderly person's home as safe as it can possibly be.