With a growing number of seniors pushing for a more independent lifestyle, the need to safety-proof their homes becomes more urgent. In fact, in the elderly community, more than 60% of falls resulting in injury occur in or around the home, as opposed to in a public setting. This makes it more critical than ever to update safety proofing measures for the elderly.
Additionally, falls and medical emergencies can be even more difficult to prevent without long term care.
If you or a loved one are trying to live independently despite age, here are some tips on home safety for the elderly:
Keep Safety Apps On-Hand
As you age, the need to focus on your health and safety becomes more imperative. If you are looking for the fastest way to get help in an emergency, Rescu is right for you. With Rescu, you can completely bypass the 9-1-1 dispatch service and have help sent to your door in as little as two taps on your mobile device. Once activated, your request is sent to Rescu’s UL-certified, 5-diamond-rated central station that communicates directly with emergency services that have jurisdiction in your specific location.
For seniors living with a medical condition, Rescu provides an easy and intuitive way to get help. And, seeing as how some medical conditions can make it difficult to communicate verbally, Rescu does not require you to speak with an operator before having help sent your way.
With your Rescu app in hand, you can attain absolute peace of mind knowing you or a loved one have the ability to live independently despite a medical condition, take control of home security and even send for police or fire aid.
Remove All Falling and Tripping Hazards
For seniors, a fall can mean more than just a scuffed knee. Because seniors are more prone to injuries, a fall can mean broken bones, head injuries and severe bruising that can last for weeks at a time due to weak blood flow.
When assessing your home safety precautions, here are some things you will want to keep an eye on:
- Loose rugs and carpeting
- Clutter and unnecessary knick knacks
- Staircases
- Extension cords
Inspect The Bathroom And Update Appliances
Did you know that one of the most common places seniors get injured due to falls is in the bathroom? Frequently wet and slippery surfaces make the bathroom more dangerous than would be expected. This is why seniors (or their caretakers) should take additional precautions when safety proofing their bathrooms.
Luckily there are plenty of innovations to help seniors stay safe in their bathrooms. These fixes can be quick and simple, for example:
- Shower handle
- Non-slip mats
- Shower chairs
- Toilet boosters (toilet seat height is a common reason for falls in the bathroom)
- Water temperature control gauge (to prevent burns)
Prevent Accidental Poisoning
Poisoning is one of the most common accidents to happen in the elderly community. Especially when considering the variety of necessary life-sustaining medications they are taking. Those with memory loss conditions such as alzheimers or dementia may even forget whether they’ve taken their medication and overdose on their meds.
To ensure the safety of you or your loved one, here are some things to look out for:
- Carbon Monoxide
- Carbon monoxide gas is generally produced by stoves, ovens, grills or cars. Unhealthy levels of carbon monoxide can be lethal and go completely unnoticed since the substance is odorless. Installing carbon monoxide detectors can help reduce the risk of accidental poisoning.
- Cleaning supplies
- Standard cleaning supplies, such as bleach and products with ammonia, can create deadly gasses when mixed. Before purchasing cleaning supplies or mixing chemicals, make sure you do your research around the safest products to use and store toxic chemicals away from one another.
- Medication Poisoning
- Medication poisoning is a common cause of hospital visits for the elderly. Knowledge around how prescription drugs interact with one another is relatively limited and specific combinations of meds can be dangerous. Additionally, patients with alzheimers or dementia at any phase may forget whether they have taken their medication and overdose. Proper management of your prescription medication is integral to elderly safety.
Install A Home Security System
As we age, we are less capable of defending ourselves against home invasions and burglaries. Getting a home security system is one of the best ways to not only protect your valuables and loved ones but also deter thieves. In fact, 83% of burglars check if there is an alarm before invading a home.
Home security measures can be simple to integrate and relatively inexpensive. Here are a few of our recommendations to get you started:
- Nest Home Security
- The Nest Security system is an extensive product line that utilizes numerous devices and sensors for an extensive home security system. Designed to protect your home from intruders without any inconvenience to you or your family, Nest is a good and affordable option for home security.
- Security cameras
- Full home security systems can be relatively costly in comparison to simpler security measures such as security cameras. Security cameras are easy to install, mobile and can integrate with any other existing safety systems you have in place.
- Panic button
- Personal panic buttons are small, security devices used to alert authorities in an emergency situation. These are typically used in the elderly community for emergency medical situations. Personal panic buttons can offer a faster way to get help in an emergency.
Rescu Keeps the Elderly Safe at Home
If you or a loved one are pushing for a more independent lifestyle, safety-proofing the home is a necessary step towards preventing any accidents at home. But not all accidents are preventable, so it’s important to be ready when they do happen. This is where having the Rescu app comes in handy. With Rescu, you can have peace of mind knowing you are armed with the fastest and easiest-to-use dispatch service on the market.
