Safety at Home: Tips for Seniors and Caregivers

As we age, sometimes the one place we have always found safety and refuge– home– starts to feel a little scary. Maybe you’re worried about falling, and common activities like climbing stairs and showering have become intimidating. Maybe being alone with limited mobility, or having difficulty with daily tasks, is a constant reminder of how far away help would be if needed in an emergency.

No matter what your situation is, if you are an older adult, and especially if you live alone, you can have many valid safety concerns. By making some adjustments at home, and improving the safety of your living environment, you can begin to feel comfortable again and worry less about unsafe situations.

Common Safety Hazards

There are many safety challenges that you can encounter in your home as an older adult. A recent report by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission highlights these risks: each year, adults age 65 and older make up 71% of deaths related to products used in the home.1 We’ll discuss common safety concerns here, and give practical tips on how to make everyday living at home safer. Some of these concerns include:

Risk of falling
Medication mistakes, mix-ups, and overdoses
Fires, burns, and safe oxygen use
Memory loss

A good place to start with basic home safety is to ask your healthcare provider about a home safety evaluation. These are conducted in your home by a physical therapist (PT) and/or occupational therapist (OT) and may be covered by your insurance. They will look around your home for common hazards you may not even be aware of and make suggestions to correct them. Some of these can be related to specific health problems you may be having, and these trained specialists know how to spot safety risks that are individual to your situation.

What Kind of Safety Risks are Around the House?

So what safety risks might a home safety evaluation identify? There are several key issues you might recognize in your own home:

Fall Risks

Falling is a very common problem for older adults. In the US, 1 in 4 adults over the age of 65 reports falling each year. 2 To reduce your risk around the home, it’s important to remove clutter and limit crowded spaces. Removing some furniture to create a clear path can help. Pick up any loose throw rugs. Installing grab bars in the bathroom near the toilet and tub or shower can reduce slipping on wet surfaces. Ensure all areas have good lighting.

Finally, wearing well-fitting non-slip shoes, using any assistive devices like a cane or walker at all times to get around the house, and following any exercise or physical therapy programs recommended by your doctor can help improve balance and mobility.

Fire and Burns

Because reflexes may be slower with age, and forgetfulness can mean things like stoves being accidentally left on, the risk of fires and burns can increase for seniors. In fact, older adults are 3.5 times more likely to die as a result of fire than the rest of the population.3

It’s important to make sure your home has working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors on every level. Heat sources such as space heaters and open flames should be kept at a safe distance from other objects. These items and stoves should never be left unattended. To help with this, especially where forgetfulness is an additional concern, there are auto safety shutoff devices and outlet adapters that can be purchased.

Avoid wearing loose-fitting clothes or long sleeves while cooking, and smoking in bed- two activities that can cause serious burns or worse.

If you do have a fire in your home, leave immediately and call 911 from a safe location, such as a neighbor’s. Don’t try to put it out on your own.

Oxygen Safety

Along with the above fire safety tips, it is especially important to take extra precautions if you use oxygen at home. Oxygen can feed a fire and cause it to burn quickly and out of control.

Because of this, it is important to keep heat sources and anything that is an open flame or can cause sparks away from home oxygen. Anything that fits in those categories should be at least 5 feet away. 4 This includes cigarettes, matches, candles, and the pilot light and flames on a gas stove. Don’t smoke, and don’t allow others to smoke, in areas where oxygen is in use. “No Smoking” signs are a great reminder.

Never use oil or petroleum-based products on your skin or near oxygen equipment because they are flammable. Use water-based products instead.

Any unused oxygen tanks should be stored upright in a cool dry place away from heat sources.

Medication Hazards

Medications can be another source of safety issues for older adults. Errors in dosing and medication mix-ups can cause serious problems. This includes taking too little medication as well as too much, and taking the wrong medication.

To avoid these mistakes, there are some steps you can take. Never reuse pill bottles- all medications should be properly labeled in their correct containers until you’re ready to use them. For daily dosing, a pill organizer can be helpful. By having each week’s doses set up this way, you can avoid accidentally double-dosing because it is easy to see what has been taken already. Some pharmacies also offer this as a service where medications are individually packaged for use and pre-labeled with dates.

If remembering to take your medication is a problem, there are different strategies you can try. Some people find having their medications visible somewhere they have another routine established helps. For example, If you never fail to brush your teeth before bed, having your medications next to your toothbrush serves as a cue.

For others, an alarm works well. This can be set on your phone, or by using a pill keeper that alarms until a dose is taken. Or, if you use a digital assistant, you can ask for a voice reminder at a certain time.

Always keep a current medication list from your doctor handy. This is helpful to review at appointments to make sure you are taking the right doses and to take with you if you ever need to go to the emergency room. Finally, always using the same pharmacy can cut down on errors and duplicate prescriptions.

Memory Loss and Dementia

With aging, sometimes memory loss including dementia can contribute to all of the above risks. In addition, wandering and getting lost outside of the home can be a scary prospect. Enlisting the help of paid caregivers through a home care agency can provide additional support to prevent unsafe behaviors. When appropriate, cameras in the home can alert family and caregivers to problems. Door and window alarms can also help prevent wandering.

Knowing Your Limits is Part of Home Safety

As you can see, there are many things to consider when it comes to home safety. Eliminating fall risks, fire hazards, and medication errors are important steps to take to make your home a safer place.

When you are considering these safety risks, it’s also important to take inventory of your limitations. No one wants to feel like they are losing their independence. But if you are struggling with mobility issues or memory loss, your risk of injury is higher even with home safety measures in place.

At times, having additional help with daily tasks, hygiene, medication reminders, and mobility can prevent injuries from happening. If you’re ready to take the next step to connect with an expert in-home caregiver who can help, you can visit the Caresify homepage for more information or call 888-799-5007.

Providing personalized in-home care to seniors