Home Safety Checklist for Senior Caregivers

So often a caregiver is responsible for the safety of a senior in his or her care and needs to look at  home safety from a different perspective. With that thought, close your eyes and imagine that you woke today and your home feels different, less familiar, and what you once took for granted seems foreign, in fact, downright scary.  With that set of eyes, take a walk through your home.  Discover all the little things, and maybe not such little things, we all take for granted about ourselves and our ability to navigate safely through our homes.  Suddenly, you realize it may not be safe any longer.  This is often how it feels for the senior adult you care for.  Even with that sensitivity in mind, you as a senior caregiver cannot anticipate every move and every possibility. As you walk through the senior’s home with this new pair of lenses, you quickly realize that even small changes like a home medical alert system can make a huge difference. Clearly, you must consider limitations the senior has. I encourage you to quietly observe him in his home, his patterns, how he uses his surroundings, what his favorite rooms are. Is it the stairs, pathways, bathrooms, or the kitchen?  It likely includes several of these areas, maybe all. Your observations provide clues of what he may be struggling with on a regular basis. Sometimes I have found it very helpful to include the person going through all the changes. It becomes less overwhelming and empowers him in his surroundings.  

There are some general recommendations included in the following home safety checklist that senior caregivers can implement without professional help. One safety tip for seniors is to post all emergency numbers near the phone or on the refrigerator, emergency contacts, doctors, even poison control. Programming the phone with all these numbers can be very useful during an emergency. Place frequently used items within reach. Remove tripping hazards, such as electric cords or area rugs to prevent falls. Remove clutter from main traffic areas. Make sure the senior wears footwear at home in good condition and with non-skid soles. Check that small appliances work properly:  toasters, coffee makers or microwaves. You may need to rearrange the position of furniture, even remove some pieces, to allow plenty of space for walking. Dispose of flammable liquids, such as paint or gasoline. Do not use chairs with rollers. Make sure all doors are in good condition and have sturdy locks. Check that all windows lock properly. Inspect  smoke alarms. Check stairways for carpeting that is loose or worn, heights of risers, any protruding nails, clutter stored on steps, and handrails.  Check for differences in floor heights from room to room to deal with balance issues or wheelchairs.  Check for adequate lighting in and out of the home.  Be sure lighting levels are correct for daytime and nighttime vision. Inspect walkways and driveways for uneven or broken surfaces.  

At some point, you may need to work with a ‘Home Safety’ professional to implement repairs or more extensive home modifications for seniors.  Whichever way, you helped create a home environment that is safer and achieves a different balance and, most importantly, peace of mind for you and the one you care for. 

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