Savvy Senior: Simple home safety solutions for aging in place
Dear Savvy Senior: Falls and fires are the two things I worry most about for my elderly father who lives alone. Do you have any suggestions to help keep him safe and keep an eye on him from afar? — Concerned Daughter
Dear Concerned: There are a number of small modifications you can make to your dad’s home to help protect him from falls and fires, both of which cause thousands of injuries and deaths each year.
Here are some tips to get you started:
■ Eliminate tripping hazards: Since falls are the leading cause of home injury among seniors, a good place to start is to pack away your dad’s throw rugs, which are common tripping hazards or use carpet tacks or double-sided tape to secure them. You may also need to adjust your dad’s furniture so there are clear pathways, and position any electrical or phone cords along walls and out of the way.
For hardwood steps, consider attaching a nonslip tread to each one to provide traction and help him see the edge. And for added protection in the bathroom, buy some nonskid rugs for the floors and use adhesive nonslip treads or a mat with rubber suction inside his tub or shower stall.
■ Improve his lighting: Good lighting is essential for safe aging in place, so check the wattage ratings on your dad’s lamps and light fixtures, install the brightest bulbs allowed and add supplementary lighting if necessary.
You should also purchase some dusk-to-dawn nightlights for the bathroom and hallways. And mount some motion-sensor lights outside the front and back doors and in the driveway that automatically switch on when he comes and goes after dark.
■ Get grab bars: These can significantly reduce risk of bathroom falls. Install them where he enters the shower or tub and on a wall inside the stall. Be sure to affix them to the wall studs.
■ Ensure railings are stable: Wherever he has steps — stairways, entryways or basements — he needs sturdy railings. Ideally, they should be on both sides of the steps.
■ Prevent cooking fires: There are several affordable products to help your dad prevent home cooking fires such as BurnerAlert discs that attach to a stove’s knob and will continuously blink or beep after the stove has been in use for a preset amount of time and Ome smart knobs that can control a stove’s heating settings from an app. Or you can invest in a more expensive iGuardStove sensor that shuts the stove off when it doesn’t detect motion for five minutes.
■ Install smoke alarms: Install a smart smoke alarm in your dad’s house (buy one for each floor) that will alert him when smoke or carbon monoxide is detected. These smart devices will also send alerts to your phone to let you know when a problem is detected.
■ Add fire extinguishers: Get portable multipurpose fire extinguishers for each level of your dad’s house and in the garage.
■ Consider a medical alert: Consider getting your dad a medical alert device that comes with a wearable SOS button that would allow him to call for help if he were to fall or need assistance.
For more tips, get a copy of AARP’s “HomeFit Guide” (see AARP.org/HomeFit), which has more than 100 aging-in-place suggestions to help make a home safer.
Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org.
