Home safety for seniors

Do you have any information on safety in the home for seniors.   As my parents get older I’m concerned about their safety in the home.   What are some of the potential hazards I need to be aware of around the house?   

                                                                                                                                                                                           S.D.

One of the key areas for potential hazards for seniors is in the kitchen.  Other areas include the bathrooms, bedrooms, garages, basements and stairways.   It’s important to make sure lamps, extension cords and telephone cords are placed out of the way of traffic flow.  You may even have to move a lamp or phone to a different part of the room to get their cords located away from where people walk.  It may even require you to relocate a phone jack to another part of the house.   Check all the small appliances to make sure they don’t have frayed or cracked cords.  Make sure that rugs are slip-resistant or rubber-backed.   Without a slip-resistant backing, the rug or runner can slide causing a person to fall.   It’s important to have smoke detectors on each floor of the house and that they operate.   Check all bathrooms.  Remove any glass drinking cups or other glass objects from shelves and counter tops.   It would be advisable to only use plastic or paper drinking cups.  Also make sure mirrors are secured properly to the wall.  Make sure all rugs are rubber backed or have a slip-resistant backing.  You may want to install grab bars in the shower or tub areas and install non-skid strips on the shower and tub floors.  Check lamps and ceiling lights to make sure that the appropriate size and type of light bulb is used.  I recommend using 60 watt light bulbs.  A light bulb too high in wattage, such as a 100 watt light bulb, could lead to a fire.  Some manufacturers will list the maximum watt light bulb to be used with a light fixture or lamp.   Check to make sure that towel racks are not located too close to the stove burner.  This may require moving a towel rack to a different location.  The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) estimates that approximately 70 % of people who die from clothing fires are over the age of 65 years.   Also make sure stairways are clear of boxes or other items that could cause someone to fall.    

               Don Booth  

View Don's handyman Tips for the Home from unclogging drains to winterizing your home!   All at Senior Focus!     Don is home improvement expert for Senior Focus a national PBS show.      http://www.seniorfocus.com