How to Keep Elderly Loved Ones Safe from Harm at Home
As your loved ones age, it’s important to make sure they’re staying safe in their own home.
This includes making changes to the home that will help with mobility issues and preventing accidents from happening.
Here are some tips to keep your elderly loved ones safe in the home:
1. Make sure they’re aware of common home hazards. This includes keeping an eye out for tripping hazards like loose rugs and cords, as well as anything that might cause them to slip or fall, such as wet floors or spills on the floor.
2. Ensure they know how to use any medical alert devices they have. If your loved one has a pacemaker or other implanted medical device, make sure they know how to use it in case of emergency–and what steps should be taken if there is ever a problem with the device itself (such as when it needs maintenance). Also ensure that whoever handles their care knows about these devices so that help can be called immediately if necessary.
3. Inspect the home’s electrical system and make sure all cords are safely stored. Check for exposed wires, loose connections or damaged outlets. Make sure cords are not damaged and are kept out of the way so that you don’t trip over them while walking around your parent’s home.
4. Remove anything that could fall on them, including furniture, heavy pictures and appliances. If you have a large television or appliance that is too heavy to lift, it’s best to get help from someone else in the family or hire a professional to move it for you. Make sure any furniture is sturdy enough to support your loved one’s weight and won’t tip over if they lean against them.
5. Install grab bars in their bathroom. One of the most important things you can do is install grab bars in the shower, tub, toilet and sink. Grab bars help them get in and out of these places safely as well as preventing falls when they’re getting ready for bed or getting up in the middle of the night. Grab bars are also useful for helping your loved one stand up from a chair or couch without having to put pressure on their knees or legs (which could cause further injury).
6. Make sure there’s plenty of lighting around so that no matter how dark it gets outside during winter months your loved ones can still see what needs done inside without having any accidents happen because someone wasn’t paying attention while trying not only walk but also maneuvering around furniture pieces located throughout each room within your home.
7. Evaluate fire safety in their home. The home may be equipped with smoke detectors and fire extinguishers, but it’s worth checking that these items are still functional. It is a good idea to set up professionally monitored smoke detectors through EMC Security.
8. Install a home security system with a panic button. If your loved-one is being harmed, they can push the button to notify authorities that help is needed. Unfortunately, elderly are often targeted and it’s important to give them some protection.
While this is just a starter to keep your loved one safe as long as possible, it’s not enough. You also need to be aware of what is going on in their lives, what is going on in their home and what is going on in their environment. That way, if there’s something dangerous or out of the ordinary, you’ll know about it before it gets out of hand–and maybe even prevent it altogether.