As we age, the comfort of our own homes may also start to become filled with potential safety hazards. Furniture and surfaces that once seemed negligible can now quickly become unsafe as our ability to balance and navigate changes.
This is why it is crucial to evaluate your home: to prevent injuries from occurring, especially since recovery becomes more difficult as time goes on. Preventing injury is about more than just fixing one problem—it’s about creating an environment that supports independence.
Although occupational therapists or senior living specialists can conduct a safety evaluation and offer suggestions for your particular home, there are many common issues that can be easily remedied on your own or with minimal assistance. Read on to find out some of the most common household hazards and simple solutions for how to fix them.
1. Indoor Tripping Hazards
Falls are one of the most common dangers that put seniors at risk in their own homes. Although it is not possible to completely prevent falls from happening, there are many simple things you can do to drastically decrease their likelihood.
What To Look For:
- Loose electrical cords or unsecured rugs
- Bulky furniture or furniture placed in common walking paths
- Low furniture like coffee tables or ottomans
- Uneven surfaces like sunken living rooms, steps into the garage, or even thresholds between various types of flooring
How To Fix It:
- Clear pathways to provide less tripping hazards and decrease the likelihood of a fall
- Ensure steps that have worn or loose carpeting are replaced or for hardwood stairs, think about installing anti-slip treads
- Consider installing a grab railing in places where the flooring is uneven to increase balance while changing heights
2. Outdoor Tripping Hazards
Even outside, eliminating tripping hazards is an essential part of home safety for seniors. Conducting a thorough evaluation of your outdoor areas can decrease the likelihood of falls and increase independence.
What To Look For:
- Outdoor rugs with edges that are not secured
- Bulky furniture, especially if legs or arms stick out into walkways
- Garden hoses on the ground or not stored properly
- Cracks in sidewalks & driveways
- Uneven surfaces such as hills, sloped walkways, or even ground covered in gravel or bark
- Walkways that do not have hand railings or other support nearby in case of a fall or stumble
How To Fix It:
- Similar to indoor tripping hazards, clear walkways of all debris and clutter
- Install handrailings where surfaces are uneven to provide balance or support when transitioning between surface heights
3. Bathroom Tripping and Slipping Hazards
Bathrooms are typically smaller rooms in the house; however, since these high traffic areas are prone to getting wet, it is important to stay alert and ahead of potential dangers.
What To Look For:
- Places where flooring is smooth and may get water on it
- Showers, tubs, and toilets where standing up and sitting down may be a challenge
- Loose rugs or rugs that are not secured thoroughly
How To Fix It:
- Install grab bars in the tub/shower and possibly by the toilet
- Use nonslip mats on the floor, especially in the floor of the tub/shower
- Consider investing in a shower chair to give yourself an option of extra support in case you begin to feel fatigued or off balance
- Use non-skid backing for area rugs or bath mats
4. Poor Lighting
When lighting is too dim, it can often be difficult to spot obstacles in your path, and depth perception becomes less accurate. By ensuring any places with poor lighting are properly addressed, you can decrease the likelihood of injury in your own home.
What To Look For:
- Areas in your home where lighting does not clearly illuminate your surroundings
- Light switches that are difficult to operate or reach that may prevent you from using them
- Pathways where you walk frequently at night that are dimly lit
How To Fix It:
- Install accessible light switches, possibly consider voice or motion activated lights in certain areas
- Ensure lighting is adequate in each room, hallway, and staircase by upgrading or adding light fixtures
- Replace light bulbs promptly when they go out, and consider keeping a few spare ones on hand
- Use nightlights to help with evening visibility
- Keep a flashlight near your bed for quickly accessible lighting when needed
5. Lack of Emergency Preparedness
If an emergency were to happen, what would you do? Do you have a plan in place to keep yourself safe or call for help if needed? These are especially critical questions about home safety for seniors who live on their own.
Although there is no way to plan for every scenario, it can be reassuring to be prepared for multiple types of emergencies like natural disasters, fires, power outages, and medical emergencies.
What To Look For:
- Consider how you would contact someone if you needed help right away. Do you have phones throughout your home, a wearable emergency call button, or a way to use voice activation to call emergency services?
- Have you established easily accessible exit routes from all rooms in your home?
- Do you have supplies – like water, food, medication, and a source of heat – if the power were out for several days?
How To Fix It:
- Consider investing in a medical alert device (some even detect falls automatically) that can connect to your phone line to call for help even if you are unable to move.
- Talk with family members or trusted friends to help you develop safe and accessible exit routes so you can have peace of mind knowing where to go.
- Designate a place to keep extra supplies in case an emergency or natural disaster prevents you from leaving your house for several days. You may also want to consider a backup generator, especially if you have medication that requires refrigeration or medical devices that require power.
What’s Next?
Many seniors can use these quick fixes to make their homes safer for a small amount of time and money. However, there are some houses where making these adjustments may not be feasible or there are simply too many potential dangers to fix that drastically decrease the overall home safety for seniors.
If this is the case, moving to senior living may be ideal. But how do you know what kind of community is right for you when there are so many options for Lake Worth, FL senior living or if senior living is even affordable?
Our free guide Staying Home v. Moving to Senior Living is packed with helpful knowledge and answers to many of your frequently asked questions. It discusses the key benefits of moving into senior living as well as addressing many of the realistic challenges that remaining at home may provide. Take the next step in your journey of aging safely and healthily - download your ebook today.