Seniors are living longer, and many more seniors are choosing to stay in their own homes, and not go to senior living facilities, or nursing homes. This is better for seniors, because they are staying in familiar surroundings, and they remain much happier.
Seniors are much safer in a one-story home or apartment. However, there are times when they have a multi-floor home, and extra precautions need to be taken.
Home Safety Checklists for Seniors - What you Need to Implement
Here is a home safety checklist for seniors. This is only a shortlist, but it gives you some good ideas of what you need to plan.
* Keep Flammables Away from Furnace and Stove - Many accidents start in the kitchen. Stoves are convenient to cook your food, but can also cause fires when flammable material is kept too close.
The same can be said for a furnace. The heat produced by furnaces can cause combustible items to explode if they are too close, and can start fires with other material.
* Move Cords and other Obstructions - Many serious injuries to seniors are caused by accidentally tripping over cords and other debris on the floor. Always make certain that seniors have clear pathways where they can move around. It only takes one fall to break a hip and cause serious injuries.
* Smoke Detectors - Make sure that smoke detectors are installed in bedrooms, kitchens and other rooms in your house. You never know when an accidental fire could start, and the smoke can also be deadly. It is not enough to have a smoke detector installed. You also need to test them regularly to make sure they are working, and make sure the batteries are charged.
* Hide Your Valuables - A home safety checklist for seniors should include protection against theft. Did you know that most seniors leave their valuables in plain sight? Did you also know that the first place most burglars go is straight to your bedroom and look on top of your dresser, or in the top dresser drawers? This is because they know that it is the place most seniors keep their expensive goods and cash.
Always keep anything of value out of plain view, and put them in a lock box, safe, or even a safety deposit box if they are extremely valuable.
* Install Handrails - Handrails should be installed on steps in your house, and you should also have them in the bathroom to easily get in and out of the tub, and up and down when using the toilet.
* Don't Overload Electrical Outlets - Home safety checklists for seniors should also have a listing for overloaded electrical outlets.
Overloading outlets can cause sparks, which can start fires. It's estimated that someone dies of a home fire approximately every three and a half hours in the U.S. Some of these fires are caused by overloaded electrical outlets.
* Water Temperature - You should have your hot water adjusted to less than 120 degrees to avoid scalding.
* Emergency Phone Numbers - Emergency numbers should be added to every home safety checklist for seniors. Important numbers can be held magnetically on the refrigerator, and a few other copies of this list should be placed near the telephone, and perhaps in the senior's bedroom.
Home Safety Checklist Conclusion:
Seniors should try and do everything they can to make their homes safe from accidents and theft. A home safety checklist for seniors should be your first step in that direction.
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