In-Home Senior Safety (Living Areas)

Determining if your loved one is safe at home is overwhelming and frustrating. Homewatch will share tips on this. Hope to hear your ideas too. . .

Most seniors want to age at home, where they feel safe and close to the things that they value. However, falls are the leading cause of death and injuries among Canadians over age 65, according to the Canadian Institute for Health Information. More than half of all seniors fall each year, resulting in almost 12,000 deaths. Of survivors, 50 percent lose their mobility, and 40 percent, their independence, forever. It is estimated that about 40% of falls among seniors which result in a hospital stay are attributable to hip fractures, and it is expected that the number of annual hip fractures among seniors will increase to 88,214 by the year 2041. (The Hygeia Group)

The elderly are also 2.5 times more likely to die in a residential fire than the rest of the population. Cooking, open flames, smoking, and heating caused more fires that resulted in injuries among the elderly than other fire causes.

With the appropriate supervision and consistent in-home safety evaluations, you can make it safe for your senior loved one to live at home. Fatalities and injuries can be avoided if you take the right steps in ensuring your loved one’s safety. One of the major reasons that a senior will cover up a loss of capabilities is the perceived threat of losing his/her right to live at home. Assuring them that you are working with them to make their lives easier will alleviate their fears. Please do not take any action without having an honest talk with your parent. If these conversations are troubling, try to engage a third-party advocate who can help you both through these conversations.


ALL LIVING AREAS:

As your parent ages, you need to be aware of specific situations that could cause an accident and possible hospitalization. Make note of changes you make and be ready to continually do safety updates. Your parents are used to living a certain way and are comfortable with the way things are. They need to be involved in any changes you make, especially decisions involving their future.

- All rooms should be well lit. Your parents’ senses have changed and lessened, especially sight, hearing and smell. Although it may seem like comfortable lighting to you, your parent may be having trouble seeing. Trouble with vision leads to avoidable injuries (such as falls, which can then lead to hip fractures). If the house seems dim, change all the light-bulbs to a higher wattage. Install ample reading lights in the bedroom, kitchen and sitting room for reading pleasure.

- Remove or throw unnecessary clutter (but make sure you discuss it with your parent). Remember that your aging parent will not always lift his/her feet when walking. In addition, he/ she will be using walking aids, such as a cane or walker. That will require more room to turn around, and all doorways should have a clear walkway. Remove all throw rugs, electrical cords and low-lying decorations to avoid falls.

- Although pets provide comfort and companionship, be aware that the pet may no longer be receiving the care it deserves and could potentially cause injury. Have an honest conversation about the pet, its needs, and your parent’s burden in caring for the pet. Offer to find third-party help with the animal or help find it a new home.

- There should be a working smoke detector and a carbon monoxide detector somewhere in the house, preferably by the kitchen and near the boiler room. Make sure there are working batteries in the devices and available in the house as well, and offer to change them as necessary.

- Extension cords are something that need to be moved out of the way, either behind furniture or run along the walls. If the outlet is over-loaded, switch to a surge protector. This will help prevent fires or power outages.