Home Safety Tips for Seniors

For seniors, taking care of yourself starts by avoiding the many common causes of accidents that might cause serious damage to your health. The older you get, the longer it takes to recover from illness and injury, so by employing the right preventative measures, you can avoid being sick or injured in the first place.

Here are some simple home safety tips for seniors that will help keep you safe and provide faster ways to get help when you need it.

Basics

You should apply the basics to home safety as you would if you were only twenty years old. Here are a few old standards that will help you stay safe.

• Never open the door to strangers
• Keep windows and doors locked at all times
• Keep prescriptions in their original containers
• Never mix cleaning solutions, such as ammonia or bleach
• Never heat your home with the oven, stove, or grill

The final one is very important because such items give off carbon monoxide which is deadly and often odorless.

Add Safety to Your Home

This means doing the basics to ensure that accidents are minimized, starting with checking all rooms, hallways, and stairs to ensure that there are no objects that may cause you to trip. You can also take care of sharp corners on walls by adding a little padding which can be found at your local hardware store.

One of the best additions you can make to your home is handles and rails, especially in the bathroom to provide a solid grip when getting in and out of the tub. Rubber mats on bathroom and kitchen floors and setting the thermostat so the water is not heated to above 120F degrees will prevent accidental scalding.

Another simple tip is to not place scatter rugs at the top or bottom of the stairs. Plus, you should tape all rugs to the floor, so they stay in one place at all times.

Falling

Falling is arguably the number one cause of injury to seniors and many falls can be avoided by taking a few simple steps.

• Risk Assessment of Your Home: Find out where it is most likely that an accident will take place
• Exercise to Improve Balance
• Use a Walker or Cane to Avoid Falls
• Wear Non-Slip Footwear on Slick Floors
• Don’t Get into a Rush Over Little Things

You might be surprised how many seniors get hurt when getting into a rush to answer the phone or the door. Just take a little extra time to be careful which will be worth the effort.

Emergency Numbers

You should keep a list of emergency numbers handy both in your cellphone or smartphone and in your home if you use a landline. This includes 911, but also the number to poison control, your healthcare provider, and a family member or friend who you want to call in case of an emergency. By keeping such numbers handy, you can reduce the time it takes to get the help you need.

These home safety tips for seniors will help you avoid injury, so you can lead a happier, healthier life. Remember, the accident you avoid today means more enjoyment of your tomorrow.

Contact PSC Community Services for more information. Please reach out to us directly at 718-389-7060 or info@psccs.org