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If you care for the elders in your family, you need to plan how to make their place safe for living. The primary concern should be to avoid any falls, which is the major cause of injury in old age. Other areas of concern are safety of the stairways, living rooms, bathroom, and kitchen. Here are all the practical tips you need to make the home of seniors safe and secure. ~ Ed.
Do you really care about the home safety for seniors in your family? Do you realize that most elders are vulnerable to accidents at home?
If you do, then you understand that senior home safety is a crucial matter.
I’m sure you’ve have elders at home, or have them living independently. This post relates to you in more ways than you think.
Caring for the home safety for elderly in your family is your responsibility. They took care of you when you were a child – now it’s your turn to give back, isn’t it?
If you don’t do this beforehand, then you might end up using more of your valuable time and money in looking after your loved seniors. That would be if, for God forbid, there is a mishap or the elderly suffer from some injury just because the house was not safe.
Taking care of their safety at home is essential because most seniors prefer staying in their own house as long as they can.
And why wouldn’t they want to – it’s the place where they’ve lived all their lives and raised a family.
They are attached to their neighbors, and have close ties with friends and family. They are familiar with the amenities around like the grocery store or their favorite walking trail they take to each day.
When I suggested my Dad and in-laws to move out of their big houses to residential flats so that it becomes safer and easier to live, both stressed on to continue living where they had lived for years.
I agreed because I think more than anything else, its their feelings and memories that need to be respected.
“The ache for home lives in all of us. The safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.” Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou
What is the Need to Make Homes Safe for the Elderly
Besides being more comfortable for some seniors, staying at home also works out better economically. However, as the elderly become more fragile and old, living at home can become risky and difficult.
Here are a few main reasons why you need to take the senior home safety measures –
- Health problems and the side effects of medications or other ailments can increase their chances of injury at home.
- One of the leading causes of death in adults 65 and older is falling, which often results in broken hip bones. Check out this fall prevention checklist for older adults.
- Healing in old age takes time. Sometimes the elderly can get bed-ridden permanently due to some ailment or diseases, or even face complications if they suffer head injury due to the fall.
In such cases, when the elders in your family aren’t willing to move out to safer places, it’s essential to make simple changes to their home so that they can be taken care of and are comfortable.
Another thing that you should do to take care of the elderly in your home is to make sure that are covered with a health care policy. In the present times, its a challenge to provide quality assured health-care services for the elderly, and you need to have sound strategies.
Since the elderly health-care scenario can turn into a costly affair, you need to make sure you’ve selected the best options that address all the aspects of elderly health.
Remember, old age is similar to your childhood years. Just like kids, even your elders are vulnerable to injuries and accidents.
I feel the ideal home safety measure for elders is that they have their house on the ground floor, unless there is an elevator or the stairs have very low steps, which are easy to climb.
I’ve my Dad and my in-laws staying on the first floor, but they both have the option to move to the ground floor as age catches up. That would be any day safer and better for them.
If you have elderly at home, you might like to read a post I’d written on the different ways to take care of elderly people.
Home safety for seniors is essential for those living alone. You need to ensure whether they can access help in case of an emergency.
Did you know that June is the senior home safety month? However, why should you wait for any particular month to ensure that the home is safe for older people, isn’t it?
Here is what all you can do to make the home of seniors safe from all aspects.
“To care for those who once cared for us is one of the highest honors.”
Tia Walker
6 Areas and 60 Tips on Home Safety for Seniors
These are few of the tips for home safety for elderly people, though there is a lot more you can add to this list.
This post is dedicated to my Dad, in-laws, and all seniors out there, because we care for their safety, don’t we?
Most of these tips are what I’ve observed people carry out, while some I’ve tried, and the others are based on research I conducted to share with all of you and add value to this post.
I– General Home Safety
Senior citizens may have problems with their balance, walking, or have poor eyesight and other health issues.
You need to make sure that the home safety for seniors in such cases is foolproof and the home is secure.
- Front and back doors need to have strong bolt locks, and if possible even a burglar alarm system. It’s a good idea to have peephole for the outside door so that you can see who is at the door before opening it.
- You can even install the video call security system that’s easily available these days for additional security.
- If seniors at your home use a cane or a walker, put rubber tips on its base so it doesn’t skid. If they use crutches, clean the lower base with an abrasive pad.
- Avoid using slippery wax on the floors.
- Ensure that your seniors wear proper fitting shoes with no, or low heels. They shouldn’t wear socks without shoes, especially on smooth floors.
- If you live in a place that gets ice or snow in winters, have someone sprinkle sand or salt on the steps to avoid them from becoming slippery.
- Remove telephone or electrical cords from the busy areas of the house. Tack or tape them to the walls instead.
- Don’t allow your elders to stand on chairs or ladders. If they do, then they should use a step stool with handrails.
- Add railings fixed to the walls in the areas that are difficult to navigate.
- Instead of doorknobs, have levers – as they are easier to use for seniors.
- Make sure the house is lit well, especially areas like the porches and outer walkways.
- Repair uneven joints and holes on walkways. Arrange to have dead leaves removed from there too.
- Have an emergency escape plan ready, in-case of fire, earthquake or any other emergency.
- Ensure that the cell phone of seniors has a list of emergency numbers and it also has your address fed in.
II– Stairways Safety
For added home safety for elderly, ideally, there’s no reason for seniors to use the staircase and stairways.
They should live at the main level of the house and have all their amenities at that level. However, it that’s not possible, take the following precautions:
- Seniors should have an entrance without steps. However, if that’s not possible, purchase a stair-lift for the stairs, or at least have sturdy rails for the stairs.
- The staircase should not be open to the side opposite the wall. It should have a railing to prevent falling.
- Ensure that the staircase is well-lit with switches at the top and bottom.
- The steps of the staircase should have a non-slippery surface. Their surface should be even with no rubber mats or metal strips that might cause tripping.
III– Room Safety
Bedroom or the living room is the area where the seniors usually spend most of their time at home. Living here for the elderly should be very comforting, convenient, and pleasant.
- Store bed covering, clothing, and other household items where they are easily accessible and within easy reach.
- Remove plants, small tables, boxes, and other smaller items from traffic areas.
- Consider installing monitors and intercom.
- Place a lamp and a telephone near the bed.
- Consider using a buddy system or a medical alert system.
- Seniors should avoid smoking in bed or when alone, and be very careful if they do so because of the danger of fire.
- Install a smoke detector and fire extinguisher in each floor. Keep a check on the battery!
- Ensure that the light switch is next to the room entrance so that the lights can be switched on before entering the room.
- If anything spills, the elderly have to ensure to wipe it off properly to prevent them from slipping.
- Remove ALL kinds of scatter and slippery rugs. The National Institute of Health (NIH) suggests removing any rugs that aren’t secure.
IV– Furniture Safety
Though furniture is an important accessory for homes, it can prove risky is it’s not in compliance to the needs of the seniors for their safety.
- Dispose off any furniture that is not needed.
- Place the remaining furniture in such a way that there is space to walk about comfortably, especially for a senior with a walker or wheelchair.
- In case of an emergency, where you’re required to move a wheelchair or hospital bed through the doorways, plan to leave enough space (at least of 32” clear).
- Remove or replace doors that close too rapidly or on their own. For those who are frail or on wheelchairs, they can put in automatic door openers. Use remote control for doors or switches if need be.
- Ensure the furniture doesn’t move once it’s leaned on. You can place rubber tops to the legs.
- Add cushioning or padding to the sharp corners on cabinets, tables, vanities and other furniture.
- Remove any kind of raised doorway thresholds.
- Repair raised areas of flooring and replace loose carpets.
V– Bathroom Safety
Accidents in the bathrooms that occur due to slipping are very common. You can easily prevent them by taking these senior home safety measures for the elderly.
- Leave a light switched on in your bathroom and hallway at night.
- Install grab handles in the bathroom.
- Ensure that the bath mat has a non-slippery bottom and skid-proof the bathtub if you use it. Place them even near the toilet, sink, and shower.
- Use door locks that be opened from both sides. Better still, if you are just living alone, keep the door a little ajar while bathing – don’t lock it.
- Use bath benches, shower chairs, or a bath stool while bathing.
- When seniors get into the shower or tub, they should put the weaker leg in first. When they come out of the shower or tub, they must use their strong leg first. This helps to get a better grasp or hold.
- Turn the water heater to 120 degrees Fahrenheit or below to avoid scalds.
- Ensure to mark the cold and hot faucets properly.
- Ensure the shower curtain is strong enough and does not come down if one grasps or tugs it. Install a rod that’s bolted to the wall.
- It’s better to use a liquid dispenser in the shower to avoid slipping when trying to pick up a dropped bar of soap.
VI– Kitchen Safety
Seniors might use their kitchen more when they live all by themselves. Take all precautionary measures to keep them safe from any accidental hazards.
- Store sharp knives or other such in a rack.
- Store heavy objects at waist level.
- Place items used often within easy reach.
- Store any kind of hazardous items separately from food.
- Ensure the work area is well-lit.
- Keep the floors clean and uncluttered.
- When seniors cook near the stove, they shouldn’t wear long and loose clothes.
- Use bright colors to mark the ‘on’ and ‘off’ positions on appliances.
- If seniors use a kettle, make sure it has an automatic shut off.
- Check the expiry dates on food items before using them.
- Keep microwave dishes separate from the others so that the elders are clearly able to decipher them.
- Label the food items with large fonts as it becomes easier to make out what to use.
- Keep chemicals, cleaning supplies, and flammable liquids out of the kitchen and in a closed cabinet.
- Seniors should use heat-resistant oven mitts rather than potholders. That’s because they give a better grip on hot containers besides protecting against splatter and steam.
Wrapping It Up
Simple and small changes in and around the house can help ensure the home safety for elders. Most of the above mentioned changes are easy and inexpensive.
Of all the areas at home, I find the bathroom as the most dangerous one. I lost my aunt a few years back and recently one of them suffered from multiple fractures in her leg. Both of them fell in the bathroom.
This prompted me to come up with this post. As it could happen with anyone, and we all need to take fall preventive measures. I hope this message spreads to all homes and families.
“Anything that we can do to improve the lives of elderly people is welcome so far as I am concerned.”
Judi Dench
If you are preparing for an elder or parent to stay in your home, you need to reconsider these tips.
Here is another checklist on home safety for older people you’d love to go through. 🙂
So, now that you know all that it takes to care for the home safety for seniors, what are you waiting for? Go on and make the necessary arrangements so that they live a happy and comfortable life! 🙂
Over to you –
If you’ve an elder at home, what senior home safety measures do you take? Do you think you could add more to this list on home safety for elderly? Please share your additional tips and experiences to help others in the comments.
Hi, I found your article from SEO sites, but when i read this article, i seems this is very helpful for my grandparents, thanks a lot for giving awesome tips.
Thank you for this article. While reading this I realized that there are many things that I can do for my parents and in-laws. The truth is that I haven’t bothered to think about it. Thank you for making me realize that fact. Next time I go to their home I am going to make sure that I take care of these things. But there is one thing I am glad that I did, installing the AlarmCare personal panic alarms in my parents home and also in my in-laws place in Toronto. Thank you once again for opening my eyes to these facts.
Welcome to my blog Gabrielle!
Glad you liked the post and could relate to it 🙂
Yes, there’s really a lot we can do if we are ready for it and have a positive mind-set, isn’t it? I’m sure your efforts to make the changes around their house would be noticed and appreciated. Small things matter and they certainly make a difference. Nice to know about the panic alarms, which I think are essential, especially for parents or elders who are not staying with us.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your experiences with us. 🙂
Hello Harleena
Awesome article. Thanks for mentioned these tips that are really helpful and needful for ours elderly parents.
Thanks for sharing.
Keep it up
Hi John,
Glad you liked these tips on home safety for seniors 🙂
Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Hi Harleena,
Really a fantastic article. We all need to do well and take proper care of ours elderly parents. All the guidelines and tips that you have provided are really helpful to us. As we all know now a days in this hectic life nobody have time to spend with their parents and do proper care. Its ours turn to do something for our parents. We should need to follow all the tips to take proper care of our parents
Thanks for sharing
Good job
Hi Holly,
Glad you liked the post, and yes, taking care of our elders is something none of us should ignore.
I agree – with changing times and life becoming busy for us, we get less time to spend with our parents or elders, but we never have enough time, it’s something we need to ‘make’, isn’t it? Hope these tips on home safety for seniors help people realize this fact.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your views.
BTW – It would be nice if you can get a Gravatar so that we know who we are talking to – just a friendly suggestion 🙂
Hi Harleena,
Living by yourself means Pay Attention to
your Surroundings!
So many good tips in this article, especially about keeping stray wires off the floor and out of the walking paths.
Believe it or not my biggest hazard is Andrew my cat (see my gravatar!).
He turns into a “trip” hazard in a second, so have developed a defense technique of sliding my feet on the floor when he is doing a “Love” attack!
He is a large cat, so you can’t miss him, but can be a fall maker if you don’t pay attention and watch him.
I’m lucky I guess, last bone scan shows no osteoporosis but my Dr. upped the amount of D3 to help keep my bones healthy.
Prevention is the key… and she believes in it!
Hi Cararta – nice to have you back 🙂
I agree with you there, living alone means you need to take care of yourself by all means, if you don’t have others to do it for you.
Those wires can be very dangerous and sometimes we don’t realize, especially when we are walking around or speaking on the phone, and trip or fall due to them. Putting them on the wall or on the side makes sense, isn’t it?
Lol…I can understand what you mean, and our pets sometimes like to cling to us or walk near us, so it can be dangerous at times. Sliding your feet is one way, unless you train them to stay in a certain area or not come after you, which isn’t possible after they grow up.
Bone health is important and keeping it in good condition is vital. Bones are known to turn brittle and weak as we age, so certainly an area to take care, isn’t it?
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your experiences with us 🙂
This post is full of memories. While my mom wasn’t a senior citizen by any means, she did suffer from a rare form of Alzheimer’s called Pick’s disease. It attacked her frontal lobe of her brain and my mom started doing some fairly wacky things as her brain started shrinking from the disease.
She would grab at hot pans and try to pull them straight out of the oven without using an oven mitt. *buy an oven lock if they have issues with memory*. One day she left a pot of water boiling on the stove top and forgot about it. In fact, my dad said she went off and took a nap. *buy the stove top safety knobs*.
She used to sneak out of the house and wander the streets looking for my brother, my kids, ect even though they weren’t there. * My dad had to change the locks in the house that required a key to get out*. She also loved going to get a dr pepper during the day while dad was at work, once she got to the point when she wasn’t able to drive. She tried sneaking the van out of the garage. *My dad had to hide the keys*.
She would eat food no matter what the temperature was and it got to the point my dad had to make sure it wasn’t too hot before he allowed her to eat it.
Once she got to far downhill, my dad had to move her to a facility that could watch and care for her 24/7. Seniors want to be independent and it drove my mom crazy when my dad had to take safety precautions to protect my mom from hurting herself. Thank you for sharing this resourceful post.
Hi Christy,
Nice to know that this post brought back memories to you 🙂
Sorry to hear about your Mom, and that certainly seems like a new disease I haven’t heard of earlier. It all sounds pretty dangerous, to touch hot pans without mitts is asking for trouble, but she couldn’t help herself in such a state I guess. An oven lock seems interesting, not heard of it earlier – I think it prevents you from opening the oven while food is being cooked, or gives an alarm before you can open it perhaps.
Stove tops safety knobs again is something we don’t get our end, but I can see their importance in such cases. Why only seniors, sometimes even people like us tend to forget we put something on the stove and take off, don’t we? So, that would surely help all of us.
Oh dear…going out of the house could be dangerous, especially in her case. Yes, you certainly need to keep the doors locked up well and hide the keys if need be, though in such cases, its tough to leave seniors alone. Your dad certainly must’ve gone through a great deal for the care and attention your mom needed, and all that he did for her – commendable indeed.
I guess she didn’t really know what was wrong with her, or might have been having bouts of when she felt normal and just like others, and wondered why everyone was trying to be extra cautious about her.
It’s surely been tough on all of you, and I appreciate you for sharing all these wonderful tips with all of us, which would help so many seniors.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your experiences with us 🙂
Thank You Harleena for these tips!!
My elderly parents do not live with me (despite my pushing them too) so it’s all the more reason that I want to make sure they are in a safe house. My Father has Parkinson’s so we’ve made the necessary adjustments to the house to accommodate him. However, as you point, a cell phone is a good idea. I’m definitely going to look into getting him one so he has this with him, even while in the house, in case he were to fall.
Thanks Again and I’m forwarding this post to my parents for their reference.
– Monisha
Welcome to the blog Monisha!
You are most welcome, and I am glad you liked these tips on home safety for seniors 🙂
Absolutely! Because they don’t live with us and won’t listen to us, no matter what we say, we need to make sure of their safety from all aspects.
Yes, a cell phone with numbers fed is a good idea. And if you scroll up in the comments to read a comment by Debbie, she mentioned about a necklace that sends an alert when pressed, in-case of a fall, so that too might be a good option if you get one your end.
Thanks for stopping by, and I hope it helps your parents in more ways than one. Bless them 🙂
BTW – Do get yourself a Gravatar image so that we can see who we are addressing, and I see your lovely picture on your blog, so I know it will work for you – just a friendly suggestion 🙂
Hi Harleena
Thank You for the welcome! I love your blog and all the practical advice you offer here. It’s a wonderful resource.
And thanks, I did go back to Debbie’s comment regarding the alert necklace. I’m going to look into thisfor my Dad. It’s a great idea and since I’m far from my parents the alert necklace will enable them to get help quickly.
Getting my parents to listen to me is an uphill battle… But, I’m trying- one step at a time 🙂
Thanks again!
– Monisha
PS- I will look into getting a gravatar, I’m not on WP, but will look into this. Thank You so much for the advice!!
I’m so glad you like my blog and the posts here as well 🙂
Yes, it struck me when I read about your case and the cell phone as you mentioned as Debbie too bought the necklace after the fall. I guess we don’t usually think of such things when everything is safe with our loved ones, though timely action always does help, isn’t it?
Ah…don’t worry, you aren’t the only one – we all sail in the same boat! I guess it is an uphill task as you can read through most of the comments on this post, but we can do our best and leave the rest to Him to take care.
No worries about the Gravatar, take your time, and I hope it works for you too. Thanks once again 🙂
You are absolutely right, unfortunately it’s hard to think of what could happen until it actually happens… 🙁 All the more reason to have checklists like this.
Thanks again for this post! It’s been so eye-opening for me.
Take Care
Monisha
Absolutely! That’s why perhaps prevention is better or taking timely action. Never too late, isn’t it?
Thanks once again 🙂
Hi Harleena,
This is an really interesting topic which I think everyone should pay attention as the rate of elders increasing nowadays 🙂 Plus, as many elders left alone with no care from their own children. Thanks for the wonderful post with a lot of safety tips!
Talking about elders, I’m in a state which still I don’t have to pay much attention to elders. Instead they do take care of me and long years ahead to feel a bit vulnerable as I feel. Except for, my grandparents.
Interesting you brought up the scenario about moving out, ’cause it has been suggested (not permanently) to my grandparents too, but they denied that. But took care of bathroom safety though.
I think it’s normal, ’cause I don’t think anyone will prefer leaving their sweet home and be a burden to someone else. Even elders are vulnerable enough, they don’t wanna show it off, right? That’s something I find in elders and feels like kinda stubborn. But they have their reasons.
Again, I do agree about living in ground floor, Harleena. Fortunately, my grandparents are living in ground floor but I know some relatives who have stairways and kinda complain about climbing. Wish if they could settle down in ground floor and could care about their health more rather than waiting worse to be happened.
Like fetching phone numbers and address to their mobile phones, I think it would be helpful if we can write down mobile number and address in a card and fetch into their wallet or handbag. Especially, if they don’t take mobile with them always. Isn’t it? 🙂
Right on! As far as I observed, bathrooms are the most risky place for elders too. Fell few but no injuries though. Oh! I’m sorry to hear about your aunt though, Harleena. Gosh… That’s too risky than I imagined.
Hope these tips will help the safety of elders dear! Sure, I’ll keep ’em in mind and bookmark to refer when I need again.
You have a lovely weekend 🙂
Cheers…
Hi Mayura,
Yes indeed, and I am SO glad you could relate well to this post as I know you love your grandparents a great deal 🙂
I know with our busy lives, we cannot do as much as we would like to do for them. And you are right, in so many of the cases, our elders take more care of us as compared to us taking care of them, which only shows their love and affection for us, isn’t it?
Don’t worry, I think most seniors aren’t ready to move out of their homes, no matter what we tell them, unless they are really in a helpless situation. So, it makes sense to take care of their safety within the four walls so that they are secure by all means.
Yes, they have their own reasons for not moving out, which we need to respect. Perhaps it’s the little ego that it’s their house, and they don’t want to be a burden on someone else, or the feeling that they are well and can take care of themselves, which makes them take their stubborn stand. Nevertheless, we value their decision though ensure that all home safety measures are taken well in time for them.
Stairs will eventually give problems as our elders age, so it makes sense to live on the ground floor from the start or shift to the lower areas as soon as you feel the need. I agree about writing down the phone numbers on a card – we’ve done just that and it’s placed right next to the main phone, especially for those who don’t use mobiles. Or else have it fed in the mobile alongside, for the time when they are out with a mobile and there’s an emergency, just in-case.
Oh yes…bathrooms are the most risky places, and I’ve had two of my aunts slipping in the bathroom, so one’s to be very careful there. One should take all the precautions rather than wait for something to happen and then take action.
Thanks for stopping by and adding more value to the post, as you always do. Have a nice weekend as well 🙂
Extremely heart warming post. You have give some practical and significant tips. We made special bathroom arrangements for my in-laws as bathroom accidents are common in old age.
(dunno abt Gravatar or it works) :), new to blogging you see.
Hi Anita,
Glad you liked the post on the tips on home safety for seniors 🙂
Yes indeed, falls in the bathrooms are common, especially when elders slip due to the water, mats, or other things. I guess if we take care and ensure the above measures are taken, we can avoid a lot of accidents.
You would have to sign up with Gravatar with the email you use for the image – hope that helps. It would be lovely to see you when you comment 🙂
Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Hi Harleena,
We could say that when we get old it’s a bit like when we are babies, we need to go back to safety around the house, right? 😉
When my mom was getting older once she took a terrible fall in the living room because of a carpet, it was because at times her glasses where bothering her to see certain things the way she was supposed to. After that she took away all the carpets in the house. It was the best thing she could.
Thanks you for all those great tips for elderly people.
Hi Sylviane,
Absolutely! I think life does go full circle, doesn’t it? 🙂
The fall must’ve been pretty bad for your mom, and I think removing the carpets and other such rugs from around the house was the best decision taken. I guess we tend to wait for some thing to happen before we take action, though making timely arrangements can help us with a lot of trouble later, isn’t it?
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your experiences with us 🙂
I just stumbledupon your site via Google and found this article nostelgic. This article really told what we what my grand mother used to suggest me.
Thanks for writing such article
Great job…
Welcome to the blog Suraj!
Glad you reached out to connect 🙂
Yes, it does take us back to our parents and grandparents, or other elders in our family and they certainly need our care and attention.
Thanks for stopping by 🙂
BTW – Why don’t you use a Gravatar so that we can all see who we are addressing here – just a friendly suggestion 🙂
Hello Harleena,
Its a great article on seniors home safety. We all have elderly person in our home. But we don’t take proper care of them or don’t know proper safety of seniors. Generally we always need to be careful on every movement of seniors. It should be our proper duty. We should not forget that when we were kids they raised us with deep passion & love.
I generally take proper cautious when they pass the staircase or went to washroom.
Thanks for awesome tips how to proper handle the senior citizen of a family. Hope everyone will learn from it.
Hi Ahsan,
Nice to know that you liked this article on senior safety and could relate to it 🙂
I agree with you there, we often take our seniors for granted or assume that they are safe until something happens, but it’s often very late in the day to take action then, isn’t it? It’s better to be aware beforehand, isn’t it?
Yes, we need to be extra careful about the bathroom and staircase and ensure to their safety.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your views with us 🙂
Hi Harleena,
A wonderful subject. I have been through my 2 in-laws living next door to me until they passed. This is a wonderful checklist to have because most accidents happen at home.
When my father-in-law was home with hospice care we used baby monitors to see everything he was doing while bed ridden. He always tried to escape!
Stairs were a no no for him so we installed one of those chairs to carry him upstairs if he wanted a different place to be.
Oh those rugs…get rid of them all!
Now my mom lives with me and her bedroom is on a different floor. She is doing OK except for a heart condition. She can do many things on her own, but we did install a bathtub holder which works fine. And the bath mat is a non slip one.
The only thing I would add to aging parents is keep an eye on their food. They may be careful with their meds, but check the dates on everything. When they get to the point where they are older, I found they forget to throw things out of the frig when things are expired.
If they are doing well, it could be they cannot see it clear, so get a sharpie and mark the dates clearly for them to see it easily.
-Donna
Hi Donna,
You’d be right person to throw more light on the subject as you’ve been through it all 🙂
Yes indeed, most accidents happen at home. I think having monitors if you can afford them, or even cameras are a good way to keep a check on their movements. I liked the idea of the chair carrying your FIL upstairs, certainly better than taking the risky stairs.
I agree about the rugs that keep coming in the way, and are another major cause for falls.
Nice to know about your mom, and it seems like you’re already taking most of the above measures for her safety. Perhaps she is able to take the stairs, though might be taking them slowly because of her heart condition or they might not be very steep for her.
Absolutely! Food, medicines, dates on all that they consume or use has to be taken care of, and in most cases if it slips their mind, we need to do the needful. Marking things or writing them in a bold font ensures that it can easily be read and recognized – good point indeed, just as mentioned in the post too. I think small things matter and if it can help our elders, why not make all the efforts, isn’t it?
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your words of wisdom and experience with us 🙂
Hello Harleena,
These are some nice ways to keep our older ones safe and secured and i must say that the tips are indeed useful to all. because we all have elders at home (Well for some).
I leave far from my mother, so i only go visit once a month or on holidays. but this tips you drop today will be my travel guide and i’ll definitely make my mama read it 🙂
Thanks once again for dropping such a resource. do have a peaceful week ahead…
Hi Babanature,
Glad you liked these tips on home safety for seniors 🙂
Yes, we all have elders at home and I think we all care for them so would ensure to their safety and security. I’m sure you’d take extra care for your mother as you love her so much, and she too would love hearing all of this from you.
Thanks for stopping by, and have a nice weekend as well 🙂
Hey Harleena,
First off I have to say that I love the quote, “To care for those who once cared for us is one of the highest honors.”
I use to have a girlfriend who moved off to another state and she wanted me to move too. I told her I wasn’t leaving my parents. Over the years as she had kids I would continue to come and visit. The kids would start in on me wanting me to be closer to them too and I told them the same thing. My girlfriend use to always tell me that I didn’t need to be there for my parents that I needed to live my own life. My reply was always the same…I do live my own life and I’m pretty darn happy but if they need me I want to be there for them and not 12 hours away.
As you know we moved my Mom in the condo next door to me. It’s on the first floor with no stairs. Mom has fallen several times though and she even has a slight bit of osteoporosis. We’re just very blessed she’s never broken anything, yet.
She’s very stubborn though and independent but the last time she took a tumble I made her go buy a walker. She doesn’t want to use it but I continue to tell her that she doesn’t need it to walk but to steady herself. She has vertigo so sometimes when she gets up it will hit her unexpectedly and she’ll lose her balance.
I had an argument with her just last night because we were in the kitchen and she stepped back and stumbled. I was there to brace her but I think she’s just not paying attention more as she gets older and it’s driving me nuts. I can’t make her do what she doesn’t want to do but I’ll never forgive her if she falls and didn’t listen to me either.
I’m here for her but that’s all I can do for now. I hope she never gets to the point where she’ll need to go into an outside care facility. We do what we can for them Harleena but these are great tips.
~Adrienne
Hi Adrienne,
I love that quote too, and I think it should make us all think and take care of our elders for all that they’ve done for us 🙂
Absolutely! Your reply to your girlfriend was so apt, something that I too would have given had I not been married and living away from my Dad. They were in the army so always on the move, but when they were together, I wasn’t as worried as I am today, knowing my Dad is alone, though I am glad my sister stays with him, or else I wonder how I would have survived!
When the bonds are close we feel for our loved ones and would make all the efforts to live with them, or at least near them so that we are there in time, if need be, and otherwise too so that we can keep meeting them. After all, what worth is our life if we cannot even do this much for our parents, isn’t it?
Oh dear…fallen several times isn’t good, and perhaps however she fell has been now taken care of I guess so that those hurdles aren’t around anymore. One’s so scared that anything can happen anytime, and the problem is with age, their bones get weak and brittle, so you just have to be very careful of falls.
Getting a walker was surely a good decision I think, not because she needs it, but as you said to balance and steady herself – kind of a support when she walks, which would also give you peace of mind that she’s alright.
Ah…my father-in-law had the vertigo problem too when he gets up suddenly, for which the doctors advised to sit up in bed or the chair and then slowly count till 10 before getting up, and that helped. He’s alright now and much better with no complaints.
I can understand what you mean, and I don’t think your end getting any additional help to stay with her is possible. Thoughts must be keeping you pretty worried on the back of the mind due to all this, and at that age, most parents don’t even listen or shift in with us so that there’s company for them just in-case need be. They like their space and freedom, though don’t realize that they shouldn’t wait for something to happen before taking action.
I am so glad you are right next to her, and I think making her shift nearby was the best decision you could’ve taken. Yes, we do our best and leave the rest to Him. I know you are doing your bit and I’m sure all will be well 🙂
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your experiences with us 🙂
Wow! great article. All these tips are very needful for seniors safety that you have posted here. I think this is complete guide for those who want to take care for seniors.
Hi Srimanta – nice to have you back 🙂
Glad you liked these tips on the safety for seniors 🙂
Yes, I think those who are worried about taking care of their elders, would certainly take extra measures, isn’t it?
Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Harleena, super tips.
My uncle is infirmed. He hasn’t stopped by my parents in a while but these tips are great to keep in mind, to keep things safe and secure.
Tweeted through Triberr 😉
Hi Ryan,
Glad you liked these tips and could relate to them 🙂
Yes indeed, all those who love and care for their parents and elders would take extra measures to their safety and security. Thanks for stopping by, and the Triberr tweet too 😉
This is comprehensive! This week, a client showed me on her phone the sceen into her grandmother’s house. There is a live camera on her all the time so they can check on her. It is really cool!
Love,
Jodi
Hi Jodi,
I liked the idea of having a live camera too, especially if the loved ones are your immediate family and distances are an issue. At least you can see them ALL the time and help is always near in such cases. It surely looks like a nice idea!
Thanks for stopping by and sharing this cool additional tip on home safety for seniors with us. Have a nice week 🙂
Hello Harleena,
Nice post again! Since my grandparents are 97 years and 88 years old respectively, I Know the importance of providing a safe and secured environment to them. Little mistakes on our part can cause a huge loss to them. And you are right, old age is quite similar to childhood years. Sometimes I feel that my 3.4 years old nephew and my grandpa are in the same level!
Hi Tuhin,
Glad you liked the post, and it’s surely nice to know about your grandparents as well – may God bless them 🙂
Yes indeed, it’s often the small mistakes or small security measures that we need to make, and those can make a huge difference to their safety and security. Oh yes…old age and the childhood years are so alike, especially where taking care is concerned. At both the times attention is needed 🙂
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your views with us 🙂
Great tips Harleena.
Oh yes we should always look out for the safety and well being of our elderly parents. You said it perfectly…they took care of us as kids, now it’s our turn.
We make sure our mom isn’t alone. She’s an amputee due to her diabetes so we have taken appropriate measures, many you listed here to ensure her safety.
Thanks for putting this post together for us. I hope you’re having a great week!
Hi Corina,
Glad you liked these tips 🙂
Yes indeed, that’s something we always tend to forget, especially when our elders become older. When we were young, we were cared for and loved unconditionally, so how can we forget when it’s our turn – isn’t it?
That’s the best thing you are doing – ensuring she’s never alone because that in itself is the cause of most problems too – loneliness is horrible! I’m sure you’re all taking very good care of her and must’ve taken all the required measures for her safety as well.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your experiences with us. Have a nice week as well 🙂
Right now this is something we are thinking about, as we have a older loved one with cancer who has become very weak, and has fallen and could not get up. I am really glad to see someone writing about this…these tips are invaluable. Thank you.
Welcome to the blog Michelle – good to have you over!
Sorry to hear about the ailing senior at your place. Yes, they certainly need special love and care, and if we can make their stay comfortable and safe – nothing like it.
Thanks for stopping by, and I’m glad you liked these tips on home safety for seniors as well 🙂
Hi Harleena,
These are all such awesome tips for caring for the elderly in our homes. Unfortunately both of my parents have already passed so it doesn’t look like I’ll experience this until my husband gets elderly. 🙂 These are powerful tips to remember though so thank you for sharing them. I’m gladly passing them along.
Hi Bren,
Sorry to hear about your parents, though yes – we never know when we might need such tips too because time waits for no one and we certainly aren’t getting younger, isn’t it?
I guess keeping a little mental note of all that we might need as we make a house, would ensure we remain safe in the years to come.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing them as well – much appreciated 🙂
Fantastic post Harleena.
Having been there with my mother, you have covered about everything that can be covered. As for a senior living at home you also can get a first alert for them. It is a system that has a necklace with it, so that if they fall they can press the button on it and help is sent. Before my mother got that she was in the garage, which was not attached to the house and fell breaking her hip. Bless her heaRT she used a container in the garage as a walker and made it into her house to call for help.
It is important also to make sure they stay connected to people for there mental health. Something to help them keep their mind working rather than sitting day in and day out by themselves. The interaction is very important.
Thanks for the great tips that are needed to keep our beautiful Seniors safe.
Debbie
Hi Debbie,
You’d know so much more about elder care and seniors safety as you were also living with your mother, as you mentioned – so, can guide us here too 🙂
I’ve never heard of such kind of an alarm earlier, or perhaps we don’t have them our end. Yes, we have the usual mobile alerts or the ones that are placed elsewhere in the house, but you need to go up to them to use them.
It must have been very tough for your mother to break her hip, yet move herself inside the house to call for help. I guess that time she might not have been using the necklace you mentioned, or else she could have got immediate help there and then.
Oh yes…daily interaction and talking to others keeps them mentally well and alert too. I love the way nowadays most seniors have taken up to the Internet and are becoming very tech savvy, sometimes even better than us! It’s good if they remain connected with the rest of the world this way.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your experiences with all of us. 🙂
At the time she broke her hip she was doing fine and didn’t have any problems living by herself, so that is why she did not of the first alert necklace. She was in rehab for about 4 months and after she got back into her on home is when we set her up with the necklace.
Now my husbands mother him and his sister had to pout her in a senior housing where she has her on little apartment. health wise she is in great health, but the mind is not that good anymore.
Debbie
I can completely understand that Debbie. We often seek the aids and tools only after the problem occurs and don’t work on preventing the accidents that can happen anytime, isn’t it?
I’m glad you got her the necklace now so that she is safe and secure in a way. It certainly is tough to see our elders age and suffer, if they do, though if we can make their surroundings comfortable, we are assured that we tried our best and that they are in a better situation now.
Thanks once again 🙂
Hi Harleena Singh
I am very much astonished to see that you are so careful to old age person in this way that ,you can publish an article on their safety.
Really fully appreciated work.
Hats off to your work.
Thanks.
Welcome to the blog Holly!
Absolutely! I think we all care for our elders in the family, and if we care – wouldn’t we all ensure to their safety at home? 🙂
I think it only makes sense if we can make our seniors safe and secure, isn’t it?
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your views 🙂
Great article on senior safety.
We all have the elderly or will be looking after them at some time or the other. You have compiled a comprehensive list of safety things that is required when looking after the elderly. You know about the stairs, its something that I dread all the time. Sometimes, I have bad dreams that a loved elderly person has fallen down the stairs. These tips will be useful to me. Thank you Harleena.
Hi Shalu,
Glad you liked these tips on home safety for seniors 🙂
Absolutely! We all have elders we love, and sooner or later we might have to make arrangements for their safety and security, especially where they reside, so I just hope these tips can help everyone.
Yes, stairs are always dicey, especially if they aren’t the low-leveled ones or just few of them. I think it certainly makes sense if seniors think of moving to the ground floor as they age so that a lot of hassles are taken care of.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your views with us 🙂
Hi Harleena,
I love your tip about not waxing the floors. Something my dad recently did and my mom did fall with her walker last week. We also made sure she now uses the non-skid socks (from the hospital) when at home.
There are so many things that can happen to the elderly at home just like with toddlers. You really have to elderly-proof a home well so that they don’t fall or get into other hazards.
I have thought about myself getting older as a I have a lot of stairs. Not sure if I’ll stay in the same place or not with them.
Thanks for sharing these timely tips for me Harleena!
Hi Lisa,
I think the floor would become so slippery if they are waxed and polished – I remember a friend’s mother slipping because of it once. Oh dear…sorry to hear about your Mom’s fall. I didn’t know they even have non-skid socks, that’s wonderful! It would certainly be of help to those who already have waxed floors I guess.
Absolutely! Just as with toddlers, we need to follow them all over to stop them from hurting themselves or falling around – our elders too need special care and attention, especially where their safety at home is concerned.
Ah…stairs are a problem in old age. I see both my dad and in-laws use them, but they’ve started getting knee pain now, accompanied with other problems, though they have a choice to shift to the ground floor if required. It’s tough to make them understand as they age! We too would certainly shift to the ground floor one as and when.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your experiences with us 🙂
Hi Harleena,
This is an excellent and exhaustive post to guide all those who love their elders and… who doesn’t? Even those who don’t want them in their house have the moral responsibility to take care and instal all these safety devices besides making their home safe. Most of the accidents occur in the bathrooms and grab handles surely enhance the safety. I think the modern cabin shower bathrooms are much more safer that eliminate the curtains and tubs.
I hope all those who don’t even have the bliss of the elderly in their homes can relate to this post as we all have to reach that stage one day and you know how time flies! So we should all store this informative post in our mind’s eye to envision it in near future.
Thanks for thinking for all! Love your care and concern. Have a nice week.
Hi Balroop,
Glad you liked the post and could relate to it 🙂
Yes – who doesn’t have elders at home, and I think if we care, we would all certainly take all the measures to ensure the home safety for seniors. Just makes me wonder why some families can just ignore their elders and not take care of them. I think the least bit they can do is make appropriate arrangements so that they are safe, secure, and comfortable at home, isn’t it?
Bathrooms are certainly places that need special attention. Grab handles in the right places, rubber foot mats – the non-skid ones are all so essential, besides the others mentioned in the list. Yes, the modern bathrooms are safer, though they aren’t there in all places as yet. Even the shower curtains, you need to be careful of. I like the idea of leaving the bathroom door a little ajar while bathing, in-case there are just 1-2 elders at home, it ensures they are helped immediately if required.
Absolutely! This list is for our elders, but also a reminder for us to take care – we too are going to reach that stage very soon, so makes sense to be aware of all of these in advance.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your wonderful advice with us, as always. Your care and concern too shows through your thoughtful comments, dear friend, which I appreciate a great deal. Have a nice week ahead 🙂
Hi Harleena
Being a senior myself I had a taste of how it is like to be unable to do things when I broke my wrist last year. I am very much more aware of balance and being careful getting in and out of the shower.
One of the things we want to do in the future is move to another house, but the number one thing is it has to be a one story house. No 2 story or split level house. After the fall and the experience with it there will be no wavering on that requirement.
We feel we can do anything until you see little signs of just not such a quick reaction time has in the past. A little harder to bounce back up from a squatting position, just little things you always took for granted can’t be done with such easy anymore.
Lots of great points that I have not thought about much, as it is only me and hubby.
Mary
Hi Mary,
I can well imagine – must’ve been terrible! Yes, the bathroom is the most slippery area, especially when you bathe or get in and out of the shower, when you can easily lose your balance. So many accidents occur, and if they can happen with us, our seniors are more prone to it because of their age.
I completely agree with you about shifting to a ground floor level, something that I’ve been wanting my Dad and in-laws to do too. But they’re perhaps alright now where they are, though have catered for the time when they might have to shift down, as both of them have double storey houses. I’m sure you’d find a nice one pretty soon for yourselves too.
Absolutely! You talk of these small problems at your age, but even the young generation has started getting these signs nowadays. I guess a lot depends on the kind of lifestyle we all lead, which has become more sedentary and ruled by the online world, as compared to what our parents had. Makes me really wonder if we’d ever live as long as our parents at the way things go!
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your experiences with us. Hope these points helped you, more so as it’s just both of you now. 🙂
Wow! What a comprehensive list this is Harleena!
I can’t imagine anyone needing any other resource. While both of my parents have passed on, I can remember that many of these were necessary as they aged. I’m sure it will be of value to many people.
Hi Kathy,
Yes, this list turned out to be a comprehensive and detailed one as I didn’t want to leave out or miss on any point – all of them being so important 🙂
Sorry to hear that, and I guess as we age, we also realize the importance of so many of these things because I know perhaps our generation would age a lot faster than our parents, so we too need to be careful, isn’t it? I hope so too!
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts with us 🙂
Your lengthy and detailed list for care of aging seniors is terrific, Harleena.
I’ve done volunteer work with seniors and your points are right on the mark. Things can happen in a split second, and like you said it’s sometimes similar to the care you would give young children. The one thing I have seen that is sad is as a parent ages, the children argue about “who’s turn it is” to handle responsibilities. And I have also seen children rally together, thinking, “Our parents did so much for us, it’s time to return the love.” It’s tough seeing parents age, but if the family sticks together and shares all the types of things you’ve mentioned, it makes “living” a whole lot safer, easier, and better for everyone.
Hi Sheryl,
Glad you liked this list on home safety for seniors 🙂
Ah…you’d surely know a lot of caregiving and what more one needs to do besides what’s written on this list. Yes, when things have to happen, they give you no warning and you are just caught unawares. I guess it makes sense to take safety measures so that the chances are reduced and you know what you’ve to do in such a case.
You are SO right about some children arguing about who’s turn it is – happens all over I guess! Selfless service hardly exists nowadays, though perhaps one can’t entirely blame them if they are working full-time, but it makes the parents sound as if they’re a burden on their kids. Yet there are others who sacrifice and do so much for their parents – so you have people of all kinds I think, isn’t it?
Absolutely! Things get tough when parents need care and special attention, especially if there is just one child taking care, while the others don’t participate. It good if everyone understands the situation and shares the responsibility and takes care with love, not taking it as a compulsion.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts with us 🙂
Wow.
Awesome post mam. I love my grandma very much. She is having 7 sons and 5 daughter. But she is staying alone in a village. When i asked her to stay in my home, she said that, i don’t want to disturb you and my son. I compelled her many time, but she refused to stay in my home.
But, now she is staying with me in my home. I got a beautiful and lovable wife, she is a gift of god i say. Because she take care my grandma more than me.
I am following all the safety tips you mentioned here for my grandma. My grandfather is no more. I enjoyed reading your post and also i felt very much.
Anyway thanks for sharing.
Sharing is Caring, So i shared this post. I wanna share this to all lovable grandma’s and for the person’s who loves their grandma more like me.
Hi Nirmal,
Glad you liked the post and could relate to it 🙂
I can so well relate to that – I think our grandparents and elders always prefer to stay at their own homes because they are comfortable there, and also as you mentioned, they don’t want to disturb our lives by perhaps burdening us.
That’s wonderful indeed that your grandma finally moved in with you. I agree with you there – you need a very understanding and loving partner to take care of elders at home, and I’m glad you are already following these tips on home safety for seniors. I think if we care, we will take all the safety measures, isn’t it?
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your experiences with us. I appreciate you sharing this post too – yes, it would certainly help all who have elders at home to make their lives comfortable. Have a nice week ahead 🙂
I have never thought that such article can also be written. Amazing tips on home safety for seniors.. Will surely follow your tips to improve the safety of my parents. 🙂
Hi Himanshu,
Glad you liked these tips on home safety for the elderly 🙂
Yes, we often tend to neglect our seniors and the safety measures we need to take for them. I hope this post helps people realize this fact. I’m sure your parents would appreciate the changes you make for their comfort and safety.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your views with us 🙂