5 Safety Tips to Keep Seniors Secure

Adopting safety measures at home can foster your autonomy and offer tranquility to your close ones. Safety precautions designed for seniors are not just potent; they can also be implemented in a matter of minutes. Below are five handy safety guidelines for seniors for their homes.

Utilize Home Care Services

Just because you can’t consistently be there to assist your cherished one doesn’t suggest they should be left by themselves continually. As stated by AARP, 90% of elderly individuals opt for aging peacefully in their residences rather than transitioning into a nursing home or an assisted living facility.

However, their continued independent living could be risky if they necessitate some care. Longhouse home care might be a worthy consideration to ensure the safety of seniors. Caregivers could visit your parents’ home and provide various services, from simple companionship to light housekeeping or meal preparation.

Home care could offer the crucial support needed to guarantee the safety of your loved ones and adhere to a schedule that is convenient for both you and them. This means you won’t have to stress when you cannot be present, and your loved one will receive the assistance they require and are entitled to.

Ensure Emergency Numbers Are Readily Accessible

Many mobile phone options can often be perplexing, expensive, and unnecessary for seniors. Opt for features like larger keypad numbers and a display window that are easier to use and view. Consider setting up a “caller ID” function on the phone. As memory tends to decline with age, it’s important to ensure that emergency contact numbers are pre-saved on their telephones.

Clear Tripping Obstacles

Survey your home for any areas that may cause a person to trip. It’s important to remember that as people age, their vision typically declines, so something that might seem clear and noticeable to you may not be the same for seniors. Hence, enhancing the lighting can significantly reduce risks.

Eliminate all potential stumbling blocks. Loose rugs, uneven flooring, and wires sprawled across the floor should be considered potential hazards. The thresholds of your doors might also need to be lowered or removed entirely. A step with a direct vertical drop can also pose a risk. If it’s unexpectedly located, it could cause someone to lose their balance. This could lead to a dangerous fall, especially considering the reduced agility of older individuals.

Discuss Typical Online Traps

Elderly people often find themselves at the receiving end of online scams, falling victim to cunning fraudsters. These scammers know seniors may lack advanced computer skills, making them more vulnerable to unintentionally divulging crucial information. They also understand that older individuals, who often seek companionship, might be more malleable than their younger, busier, and less credulous counterparts.

Enlighten your loved ones about the most prevalent scams and ensure they adopt secure online habits to protect themselves. Encourage them to approach unsolicited messages skeptically, avoid sharing personal details on public sites, create robust passwords, and consistently update their anti-virus software.

Sufficient Lighting

Maintaining adequate lighting in your parent’s home is a significant part of the home safety checklist for seniors. Lack of proper lighting can lead to problems. Lights that automatically turn on when a room is entered are excellent for your parents, as they might need their hands to hold onto handrails, or to use aids like a walker or cane. Such a lighting system is likely more cost-effective than you might anticipate.

Endnote

Aging inevitably brings with it a set of difficulties. Implementing measures to prevent preventable mishaps and guarantee the security of your elderly relative could protect them from danger and establish a readiness that might be crucial in an unexpected event.

Jeff Campbell

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