Severe winter weather within the Greater Dallas area can pose certain dangers in a home, especially for seniors, who may already have significant mobility challenges. Winters in Texas rarely come with snow and ice. These conditions normally leave pathways, staircases, and driveways with a higher trip and fall risk. However, with only a few simple home improvements, you could make it safer to walk around for everyone in the house, including the elderly. Below are the main adjustments you should make to your Greater Dallas home.
Fix or Get Rid of Trip Hazards
Home accessories may occasionally cause falls, which may then result in injuries. Assess each room and hallway for things like a saggy carpet, slippery throw rugs, or protruding timber floorboards. For enhanced prevention of trip and fall risks, fix, get rid of, or upgrade those elements.
Area rugs and scatter rugs pose a tripping risk, so replace them with rubber-backed carpets. And when setting a mat on the floor next to the stove or sink, ensure it firmly sticks and has no sharp edges or turned corners that might trip anyone. The finest rugs feature thick rubber bottoms on them to remain put.
Install Handrails and Grab Bars
Safety equipment can be extremely helpful if the senior in the house has restricted mobility. So, consider adding handrails and grab bars to stairs, bathrooms, and hallways.
You can as well add a bed railing. When climbing into and out of bed, railings that comfortably fit between the mattress and box spring can offer incredible support. The bed rail is also useful for transitioning between lying, sitting, and standing whenever the shift in posture leaves one queasy. As their body adjusts, having something to cling to may help them remain steady.
Light It Up
The inability of older persons to detect hazards or obstructions in their way is one of the major factors that contribute to trips and falls during winter. This could be partly because of sight problems like cataracts, glaucoma, or age-related macular degeneration; but it could also be because of inadequate lighting that obscures their line of sight. Installing brighter lighting could be beneficial, but if the current fittings cannot take the additional power, it is also important to upgrade them.
Hallways and stairways, for example, frequently lack proper lighting. It might be necessary to add more fixtures to offer the right amount of lighting. Also, the risk of tripping in the dark while using the restroom at night is higher for everyone, but notably for the senior. So, having nightlights in these settings can aid in direction-finding without overly lighting the space.
Create a Ramp
There are often one or two steps to enter a home, whether in the garage, on the rear porch, or at the entrance. However, weak muscles, painful joints, or even impaired visibility may hinder a senior's ability to climb them. Besides, outdoor staircases may turn slippery when it rains or snows, increasing the risk of slipping and falling.
Install ramps at the entrances of the house to lower this risk. In the event that your dear one needs a wheelchair now or in the future, create ramps that are spacious and sufficient to accommodate one. A non-slip coating can give an additional layer of fall prevention to the ramp.
The Takeaway
When the weather changes and winter begins, there are numerous mobility risks that come with it for an elderly individual. Thus, making appropriate changes around the house to make it safer for them and offering them all the help they need is essential. This includes having someone around the house to assist them in any way when you are not around.
At Senior Helpers of Greater Dallas, we offer the best in-home and specialized care to seniors. Our services are available all over the Dallas area, with a focus on University Park, McKinney, Coppell, Carrollton, Richardson, The Colony, Farmers Branch, Tarrant/Denton County, Lakewood Area, Plano, Frisco, Lewisville, Allen, Dallas/Collin County, Highland Park, and Addison neighborhoods. Contact us today to find out more about our offerings.