Everyone wants to feel comfortable and safe in their own home – seniors are no exception. You can help yourself or a senior loved one by creating a safe and secure living space. Divine Favour Healthcare Staffing Inc., a reputable source of home care services in Ontario, Canada, lists down common safety issues along with some useful tips to improve household safety.
- Routine Home Maintenance
Routine home maintenance can be as simple as checking for potential hazards, such as carpets that have not been tacked down, slippery stairs, or malfunctioning light bulbs and then remedying the situation. Oftentimes, minor home modifications may be required to address specific needs. Some home modifications may include adding a wheelchair ramp to make the home more accessible, installing bars and handholds in bathrooms, adding non-lip bath mats to make a tub safer, adding stair railings, and more. - Updated Contacts List
If your senior loved one is living alone, make sure that they have an updated contacts list. This includes a list of family members, friends, emergency services, fire department, police department, and other important contacts. If possible, keep it by the phone to make it easy for them to find. Moreover, a senior living alone needs to have someone with whom they can check in with regularly – typically, this is a family member or a friend. Checking in regularly can help provide whoever makes up the senior’s support system with an early sign that something might be wrong. - Stock Safety Essentials
Every home must be well-stocked with safety essentials, including smoke detectors, security alarms, and fire extinguishers. Having a first aid kit is also important to treat any minor injuries. Having a disaster preparedness kit is also vital in the event of power outages and natural disasters. Some other safety must-haves include outdoor lighting, carbon monoxide detectors, escape ladders, generators, medical alerts, and other personal security devices. - Home Security
Being burglarized can be a traumatic experience for anyone; however, seniors living alone may feel especially vulnerable. To reduce the risk of a home invasion, make sure to install necessary home security measures. Install durable locks on all doors and windows. You may also want to consider installing a good alarm system and CCTV cameras. If you are going on a trip but want to make it look like you are still at home, you can install motion-senor or automatic lighting. Also, make sure to keep updated photos of your valuable possessions. This way, even if you are burglarized, you have proof of your belongings when making an insurance claim.
What do you think about these safety hacks and which ones have you used so far? What other tips and suggestions do you have in mind? We would love to hear your thoughts!
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