Safety Tips For Seniors Around The Home

It’s Sunday morning and you're ready to start your day. You head to the bathroom, still half asleep and warm up the shower. You step inside and disaster strikes—you slip, fall, and hit the floor. Hard. Luckily you were wearing your Alert1 fall detection pendant and received help fast. But what could you have done to prevent this fall in the first place?

The fall in the shower was your wakeup call. Danger lurks in plain sight. Avoid dangerous situations with these simple additions and renovations to your home.

The bathroom is the most dangerous room in a home for slips and falls. To create a safe and accessible bathroom:

• Put a non-slip mat in and outside the shower. Place a non-slip mat inside the shower so you don’t slip when bathing, and one outside for when you step out. Make sure the mat in the shower has a suction grip backing, and the mat outside the shower has a rubber backing. These types of mats will stay securely in place.   
• Install a toilet seat with handles. These handles will give you something to hold onto as you get on and off the toilet. Some toilets are too short, making them difficult to use. A seat with handles allows you to use the toilet with ease. They are inexpensive, easy to install, and provide comfort and stability when using the toilet.
• Add grab bars. Install grab bars in your bathroom for balance and extra security. Place the bars inside the shower so you can hold onto something while you bathe. Mount more grab bars on the walls throughout the entire bathroom so you can grasp them for any situation.  
• Make the shower more accessible. Renovate with a walk-in shower. Doing so will allow you to have an easy and safe shower every day. For extra safety, add a shower bench and handheld showerhead to bathe from a seated position.

Your bedroom is where you wind down and relax, so it should be as comfortable and safe as possible. These are a few things to pay attention to in your bedroom to make it senior-friendly:

• Install proper lighting. Ample lighting lowers the chances of an accident when getting in and out of bed because hazards will be visible. Clap-on, clap-off lights and nightlights are other effective additions to improve safety in your room. With these, you will have your path illuminated before you leave your bed.
• Make sure you have the right mattress. Buy a mattress that provides comfort and support for your body while you sleep. Ensure the mattress is good for your back and posture. Find the right balance; you don’t want something too soft or too firm.
• Adjust the bed height. A proper bed height will make it easier for you to get up out of bed. Adjust your bed to a height of 20-23 inches by putting bed risers under each foot of the bed frame. They are an inexpensive and easy way to make your bed safer and more comfortable.
• Mount safety railings to your bed. Bed safety railings provide support when you have difficulty getting in and out of bed, or adjusting your position once in bed. Railings are easy to install, and can be shortened or lengthened as needed. 

You should be able to move easily around your home. Here’s what you can to do to make safe pathways through your home and prevent falls:

• Remove clutter around your home. Remove tripping hazards like clothes, cords, or boxes that pile up and obstructs pathways. Move furniture to leave walking room for yourself. Make sure to leave sufficient space for walkers or wheelchairs.
• Make stairs and steps safe. Steps and stairs get harder to climb as you age. If you have slippery stairs, paint the steps with a product that contains grit. Doing so creates non-slippery steps so you go up and down without any issues.
• Remove all rugs. Old rugs fray and shift easily, becoming hazards for falls. Remove rugs to decrease the chance of a fall. This creates clear and safe pathways around your home.
• Buy an Alert1 home medical alert system. Keep your help button on you at all times to walk around your home with extra safety. If you fall when getting up to use the bathroom at night, your medical alert will be the helping hand you need. An Alert1 home medical system gives you protection and peace of mind 24/7.

A safe home will help prevent falls and accidents that can lead to injuries, lengthy hospital stays, and a loss of independence. After your fall in the shower, you are determined to avoid another accident. By modifying your bathroom, bedroom and home pathways, you will create a home safe for aging. Enjoy aging in place with no worries.

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• Senior-Friendly Tips to Prevent Falls at Home
• All You Need Is…A Safe Bathroom: The Beatles Senior Guide
• Preventing Nighttime Slips and Falls for Seniors