Safety at Home

Safety

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Every day in the United States, 10,000 more people reach their 65th birthday. Equipping your home with tools to make it easier to live in as you age, or helping a friend or relative adapt their home, is going to become a necessity. There is an easy way to do this: think about each room in your house and make a list of "aging-in-place amenities" that you can install.

The Front Door/Foyer

The first thing to think about in terms of making a house more accessible is just that: how accessible is your house? Is the front entrance at the top of a set of stairs? Is there an entrance between the garage and the house? Is there a side or back entrance that is more easily accessible than the front one? It is not always cost-effective to install a feature like a ramp before you need one. But you can make sure that staircases are free of stumbling hazards and any banisters currently in place are sturdy. Although carpets and other non-slip mats can be tripping hazards, you might want to consider having some in place as needed on porches that can get icy and on garage floors that can get wet. Within an entrance, foyer, or mudroom, make sure there are no pieces of furniture protruding into walking paths. Have a place to set wet or dirty footwear so that it is out of the way. Clean out closets so they are not difficult to open or so full that it is difficult to find outerwear that you use regularly. Somewhere within the house, in a location that you can use so consistently that it becomes a habit, dedicate an area to hold anything you need when going out. A small basket on a hallway table or entryway bench can hold keys, masks, a cell phone, and even gloves and a hat during cold-weather seasons.

The Living Room

When making age-in-place adjustments to a house, the process often seems to be about adding safety tools. In the living room, however, the biggest adjustments to be made are often ones of minimizing. Adapting your house to your needs as you age doesn't mean you have to make it a sterile, unfamiliar environment. On the contrary, you are trying to make your house more comfy and livable. In the living room, make sure you have enough room to leave wide and unobstructed walkways. Arrange your furniture so that it is useful to you, even if those arrangements aren't conventional. What chair do you sit in most? Put it in front of the television or right next to your computer table or end table. Making a house easier to live in also means making it easier to clean.

Although you'll want to keep any items that spark joy, you may want to consider gifting or otherwise removing some of your knickknacks, books, or even pictures. Keep any end tables near your favorite places to sit clear so they can hold just the necessities, like a tissue box, a place for a drink, your remote controls, or a phone.

The Kitchen

If you face mobility or eyesight challenges, the kitchen will probably be the place where you need to make the most changes. Again, you do not need to approach the kitchen with major changes like lowering countertops or changing light fittings in mind. Those changes can be made later, if necessary. What you should consider is downsizing; do an extensive cabinet and drawer cleanout and keep only the utensils and appliances that you use regularly. If you haven't made waffles with your waffle iron for years, the chances are fairly good you may not need the waffle iron. Organize cabinets so that the foods and spices you use most often are at the very front of the shelves and are easy to see. Print up ready-made grocery lists that you can simply scan every week as reminders for what you might need. Invest in measuring cups and spoons with large and easy-to-read numerals. Make sure any carpets or mats that you use in the kitchen have good quality non-slip backings. Use them only where necessary; rugs can be a tripping hazard. Make sure all the lights you have in the kitchen are working, and add under-cabinet or other portable touch-lights wherever necessary. Keep a magnifying lamp nearby to help you read recipes. There are also great automatic shut-off devices available for many kitchen appliances. Always address any maintenance issues immediately. Be on the watch for leaks from your sink, dishwasher, or refrigerator, and ask for assistance when making sure there are new batteries in any smoke detectors every spring and autumn.

The Bathroom

Changes in the bathroom can be some of the most unsettling to make because they can make the room look different and make you very aware of possible hazards. You have to remind yourself that the changes and additions within each room are meant to make your life easier.

Some items you may want to install in your bathroom include a talking scale (very handy when tracking weight for health or medication purposes), a raised toilet seat, a walk-in bathtub (this will require expert installation), handheld shower wands, and grab bars. Consider installing a new non-slip floor, and make sure any carpets or bathmats have non-slip backings. If you have a service that allows you to call for help with a button, consider ordering an extra button to leave in the bathroom at all times in the case of a fall. Make sure all of the lightbulbs are working and install a night light.

The Bedroom

The bedroom is another area of your home where a few smart purchases will help you adjust more easily to aging. Although one of the bigger-ticket items is an adjustable or medical bed, there are also several smaller items that can make aging in place easier in your bedroom. An additional phone or smart device on a bedside table can provide a lot of peace of mind, as can an additional life-assist button that remains there (in addition to any such button you wear). A night light in the bedroom or nearby bathroom is a necessity, and it may also be useful to keep a working flashlight within reach of your bed or a favorite chair. As always, make sure that walkways around your bed and between your bed and the bathroom are clean, and no electrical cords are running across your usual path. Make sure any appliances used in the bedroom, like room humidifiers, are in good working order and are cleaned regularly. Go through your closets and dressers and remove any clothing or items that you no longer use. Make sure clothing items you use frequently are in the front of your closet or at the top of your drawers, and try to remove any unnecessary clutter from your vanity

Home Safety Tips

Remove furniture from high traffic paths. Remove throw rugs or use nonslip tape so rugs won’t slide.

Remove objects from the floor, and tape cords next to the wall.

Add hand rails along staircases, and clear items from the steps. Put a non-slip mat in your bathtub, and non-slip strips where floor levels change.

SourcePoint can help! Call 740-363-6677 for a free home safety check.

table or nightstand. If you do not have a sturdy chair in this room, consider adding one; sitting down can make it easier to get dressed. Making these and many other adjustments to your home to make it easier to stay in it can feel like an overwhelming process. Try to keep your overall goal in mind, which is staying in your own home environment as long as possible. With a few quick and low-cost adjustments, you can vastly improve the safety and comfort of your own home.

CAREGIVER SUPPORT GROUPS

Free monthly support groups for Delaware County caregivers and caregivers whose loved ones reside in the county. Available in-person on the days and times below and online the fourth Tuesday of each month at 10 a.m.

Delaware Polaris Sunbury

SourcePoint SourcePoint South Office 800 Cheshire Road 1070 Polaris Pkwy, Suite 200 2nd Tuesday, 9 a.m. & 6 p.m. 3rd Thursday, noon. Find more information and register online at MySourcePoint.org/caregiver.

Community Library 44 Burrer Drive 3rd Thursday, 5:30 p.m.