Home Safety: Making your Home Safe for Seniors

Are there home safety improvements necessary for seniors? Simply put, yes! Does it mean that many recognize the need and are willing to take action? Simply put, no! Yet, most accidents occur right at home and many of those accidents occur right in the bathroom. Senior falls are the most common and can cause devastating changes physically and emotionally and greatly reduce one’s independence. Usually, once a person has fallen, even if the fall is not significant the first time, he or she is more conscious of falling and likely will fall again. Often times, I am called in to modify someone’s home after the fall has occurred. The stress level is high and at that point the needs are much greater. In order to anticipate some of the changes and take action, we would likely need to change the way we think about medical alert systems and home improvements or what I call ‘Home Safety'. It is more about how much we value ourselves and our lives instead of about seeing ourselves as old or less important. No cost is ever too great to baby-proof our homes in order to keep our children safe. We must take care of ourselves in the same way.

Removable access ramps make it easier to get in and out of the house and help prevent falls.

Before	Recycled rubber ramp

George Washington once wrote, “I’d rather be on my own farm than emperor of the world.” Any person, especially a senior, who is living safely and comfortably in his own home, is clearly able to live more independently and ‘Age-in-Place.’ Isn’t that what most people want? The fact is that as one’s ability to care for himself becomes increasingly limited, senior safety must be the focus and is paramount to remaining at home. In fact, any changes that can be made to the home which will help prevent falls in the elderly should be addressed immediately. Better functionality at home increases normal daily activities, which increases independence and peace of mind. Home safety improvements may vary a bit from one home to another, depending on the condition of the home and the needs of the senior. But one thing is clear, we all need to be proactive and take steps to ensure our personal safety as we get older.

Related Articles
How to Improve Seniors’ Safety at Home
Helping Seniors Stay Safe and Independent
Help Older Adults Prevent Injuries 

• Tweet