Improving Home Safety for Seniors

While many seniors are planning to spend their twilight years of life living in their own home and maintaining their independence, the unfortunate reality is that the challenges that come from the changes that aging brings to the body can make even the most warm and inviting home into a place fraught with dangers and terrors. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be this way. With a few simple changes to the home, and some new strategies for living inside of it, you can make sure your older adult loved ones are set up for success and can stay living and thriving in their own home well into their advanced years.

The potential for danger is sadly magnified for seniors, and many unexpected things can become dangers and hazards to health and safety. Therefore, it is important to check up on the home to see if anything needs to be fixed, changed, added, or removed to enhance the safety and security within. Some of the problems or difficulties a house can pose for a senior are obvious, and some are blind spots that you might not necessarily think of unless prompted to or told about beforehand. This post will help to illuminate some of the common and some of the less obvious dangers to senior safety that a home can pose.

Sadly, many seniors, especially those living alone, may find themselves the victim of crimes or scams. One way to counteract this is to invest in a video camera doorbell. There are many different brands and models on the market, but each work similarly, installing easily and connecting to a computer or smartphone to watch the video footage. This way, your senior loved one can view who is at the door without having to get up and open it, allowing them to ignore it until the person leaves. As a bonus, the recording footage will help to catch anyone engaging in the now unfortunately common crime of package theft.

Many seniors may have trouble with recalling information, making it a good idea to keep a list of emergency numbers handy. Maintaining a land line is also a good idea for seniors, as it can be immediately linked to the address by emergency services. Having a large print list of numbers like 911, non-emergency police lines, poison control, and emergency contacts of friends and family near the phone can help down the road.

Falls are one of the biggest dangers to seniors, so upgrading key rooms and walkways to make them more safe can help greatly. Installing motion sensing lighting in all hallways, shower seats and handles in the bathroom, and getting rid of trip hazards like low furniture or area rugs can save lives.

While fire alarms, carbon monoxide sensors, and other various alarms are helpful, some seniors with sensory issues might not be aware of the alarm. Variant alarms with additions like strobe lighting, or ones that have active monitoring and will send emergency services automatically if the occupants don’t confirm that everything is alright can prevent heartache down the road.