In-Home Safety Risks for Seniors
If you have an elderly loved one, you can do your part to help them avoid accidents and falls. Taking certain safety precautions around their home and scheduling a home safety evaluation can help your loved one avoid injury.
A home safety evaluation is a room-by-room assessment of safety hazards, trip hazards, and anything else that could be detrimental to your loved one’s overall health and safety. Take a look at these common in-home safety risks for seniors.
Stairs & Railings
Stairs are a common cause of trips and falls among the elderly. Stairs become more difficult to manage as you age. You become less limber, your joints don’t work as well, and your vision and balance deteriorate.
Make sure your loved one’s stairs are carpeted and that they have railings on both sides. If your loved one has very limited mobility, consider installing a stair lift. You should also inspect your loved one’s railings, inside and outside.
Broken, loose, or damaged railings can be a serious risk if your loved one has to rely on them to prevent a fall.
Bathtubs & Showers
Bathtubs and showers are a very common slip and fall hazard for seniors. If your elderly loved one has to step over a lip to get into a bathtub or shower, they are at a higher risk of a fall.
Showers and tubs are also very slippery when wet, and even able-bodied people are at risk of injury if they fall in a tub or shower. You can install a more easily-accessible tub or convert the tub to a shower for your loved one.
You can also encourage them to use a shower chair and install safety grab bars. A handheld shower head can also make it easier for your loved one to shower while seated.
Flooring & Rugs
Uneven or damaged flooring is a trip hazard. Hard floors can also be slippery, especially in socks or when the floor is wet. Rugs can curl up at the edges, making it easy to trip on.
A fall on a hard surface can cause serious injury to your loved one. Scheduling a home safety evaluation can help you identify flooring hazards and assist you with securing rugs.
Medication Misuse or Overuse
If your loved one relies on medication to treat an illness or disease or reduce their risk of health problems, they may be at risk of medication misuse or overuse.
If your loved one is forgetful or is in the early stages of Alzheimer’s or dementia, they may forget to take life-saving medication. They may end up double-dosing if they can’t remember whether or not they have taken their medication that day.
An in-home caregiver can remind your loved one to take medication, and offer medication management.
Fires & Carbon Monoxide
Because elderly people often can’t move as quickly or as easily as able-bodied people (especially if they are using mobility aids) they are at a higher risk of injury by fire.
It may also be harder for them to reach the phone to call for help. Carbon monoxide poisoning is another in-home risk for the elderly. Carbon monoxide is colorless, odorless, and tasteless, but it can quickly be deadly.
You should install loud smoke, fire, and carbon monoxide detectors in multiple areas of your loved one’s home. You should also consider setting up alarm monitoring, so police and fire departments are notified when the alarm goes off.
Mobility Issues
If your loved one lives alone and has mobility issues, even simple tasks can be challenging. Getting up in the middle of the night to go to the toilet can cause a fall, and if your loved one can’t get to the phone to call for help they are in even greater danger.
Installing grab bars and safety railings as well as night-time lighting, safety lighting, or motion-sensor lighting can reduce your loved one’s risk of a fall. An in-home care aide or elder care specialist can also keep an eye on your loved one and make sure they can get around safely.
Frauds & Scams
You might not think to include frauds and scams on a list of in-home dangers to the elderly. But the truth is, even in their own home, seniors are at risk for charming, smooth-talking scammers and fraudsters.
Elder fraud is becoming more and more common due to the rise in technology use among the elderly. Your loved one is at risk of scams like financial fraud and identity theft which target and exploit elderly people for monetary gain.
The elderly tend to be not as tech savvy as younger people, and they are often also more trusting of others. A scammer could reach them via phone, email, or by knocking on their door.
Make sure your loved one is aware of common elder fraud and scams where people pose as the IRS, other government officials, tech support agents, mortgage lenders or bankers, or even members of their own family to solicit or extort money from them.
Crime
The elderly are also often more susceptible to criminals. Criminals may realize that an elderly person living alone is easy to overpower, and elderly people are often more likely to leave doors and windows open or unlocked.
Make sure your loved one has locks installed on all doors and windows, even the door leading from their garage to their home. If possible, install an alarm system and window alarms to reduce their risk of a burglary or crime of opportunity.
Isolation & Depression
Isolation and depression are common risk factors for elderly people who live alone. If your loved one lives alone and doesn’t have the opportunity to socialize or see family, they can become anxious, withdrawn, and depressed.
An in-home care aide can offer companionship as well as assistance with daily living tasks. Most senior care agencies offer assistance with bathing, dressing, grooming, meal preparation, light housework, and medication management. Some even offer transportation to low-cost or free senior activities in the community.
Seniors And Falls – Managing the Risk at Home
The National Council on Aging states that one in four people over the age of 65 will fall each year. Falls can result in serious – even catastrophic – injuries to seniors.
Broken bones don’t heal as quickly or easily, and can increase the risk of complications like infection, inflammation, and loss of mobility. Luckily, you can manage the risk of senior falls in your home and theirs. Simple home improvements and being more aware of common hazards can make the home a much safer and more comfortable place for your loved one.
If your loved one has experienced a fall or is at risk of a fall, schedule a home safety evaluation to investigate hazards in the home like poor lighting, uneven flooring, slippery floors, and loose rugs.
Schedule a Home Safety Evaluation in Tucson, AZ
Don’t wait until your loved one has an accident to schedule a home safety evaluation in the Tucson or Phoenix metro area. Our team at Placita In Home Care has a comprehensive checklist we use to do a room-by-room evaluation of hidden hazards. We even check the exterior areas.
After our assessment, we’ll go over our checklist with you and discuss our findings and how you can correct them. We can even refer you to a reputable local handyman service for tasks like installing grab bars and repairing broken steps or railings. To schedule your home safety evaluation, call us today or fill out our contact form online.