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Updated 8/2/2017 12:28pm | Falls are scary. According to the National Council on Aging, 25% of all seniors fall each year. The majority of these falls occur inside the home. Don’t be part of the statistic—use these tips with an Alert1 medical alert system to make your home fall-proof.
Say No to Shower Slips
The most dangerous room in the house for falls is the bathroom. Excess humidity and water make the floor slippery. Decrease your chance of a fall with these precautions:
- Install grab bars for leverage. Senior falls occur when there’s nothing to reach for. Use grab bars for support while moving around the bathroom. Your body will thank you for the stabilization.
- Place nonskid backing on mats. Keep your bathmat without the hazard of slipping. Add nonskid backing to the bottoms of bathmats. This keeps the mat in place when you step out of the shower.
- Bypass the bathtub ledge. It’s easy to catch your foot on a bathtub ledge. Switch to a walk-in shower. The easy entry will decrease the chance of a fall.
- Wear your Alert1 automatic fall detection pendant. Always be prepared. Alert1’s showerproof medical alerts will quickly get you the help you need in an emergency.
Curb Kitchen Catastrophes
The kitchen is another dangerous room for falls. Renovate your kitchen to ensure that you don’t hit the floor with the bacon grease. When creating a safer kitchen, make sure you:
- Keep recipes at eye level. Don’t risk losing your balance while reading the next recipe step. Clip your recipe to a pants hanger. Hang from a cabinet hook for easy eye-level reading.
- Store pots and pans on the middle shelf. Forgo ending up on the floor with your stockpot. Use the middle shelves for easy storage access without risking your balance.
- Use a measuring cup to fill large pots. Stop the struggle to carry a pot full of water from sink to stove. Use a measuring cup to fill up the pasta pot on the stovetop.
- Keep your home fall detection pendant on hand. Don’t despair in an emergency. Your Alert1 home system with fall detection will connect you to help right away.
The kitchen is the space to nourish your body, not to hurt your body. You’ll move with confidence knowing that you dismantled dangers for kitchen falls.
Ban Bedroom Threats
The bedroom is your place to relax and unwind for a good night’s sleep. There is no need to fear lurking dangers if your room is senior-safe. Sleep in peace with these bedroom enhancements:
- Create a light switch-free zone. Instead of stumbling in the dark for the switch, install clap-on, clap-off lights. You’ll always have a light when you need to see.
- Add guardrails to your bed. Don’t risk rolling off the bed in the middle of the night. Guardrails will keep you safe, while giving you support for getting up in the morning.
- Invest in an adjustable height bed. Control the height of your bed to avoid losing your footing. The adjustable height makes it easy for you to settle in for some shut-eye.
- Wear your PAX Plus. Sleep safely with Alert1’s PAX Plus home + mobile device. The customizable alert means you can slip the classic button around your wrist when it’s time for bed.
After a long day, don’t keep fearing falls. Wind down in a relaxing environment. Your bedroom will now be set up to help you do that.
End Garage Falls
Uneven flooring and poor lighting place you at risk for a fall every time you step into the garage. Keep your footing when doing laundry or working on the car. To turn your garage into a fall-free zone:
- Add a light next to the garage door. Don’t walk in the dark to turn on the center garage light. Have a light next to the entry door to help you see when starting a new load of laundry.
- Shelf your boxes and supplies. Avoid stumbling around boxes of old car parts. Shelving units keep the garage floor clear of clutter and obstructions.
- Install handrails next to the garage stairs. Is there a step down to get into the garage? Add a handrail to keep your footing.
- Carry the PAX mobile medical alert with you. Clip the PAX pendant to your belt loop. Your hands will stay free without compromising on fall detection security.
The new organization will make it easy to walk around your garage. Plus, you won’t slip on spilled motor oil the next time you start the dryer.
Renovate to Avoid Falls
With these home renovations, and an Alert1 medical alert, fear of falling will be a thing of the past. You’ll never worry about losing your footing again. Stay safe in the comfort of your own home without becoming a fall statistic.