For your elderly loved ones who still live alone in their homes, it is only natural to worry about their safety and well being. But no matter how much you worry, they may be less safe than you realize. But the good news is that there are steps that you can take to boost the safety of their homes, which will make them more secure and increase the peace of mind for both you and your aging parents.
The potential for danger is magnified when the person in question is a senior citizen. Your loved one should feel safe in their home as they age, but unexpected things can become potential threats to safety. And with the changes that aging brings about, the ability to react to threats and dangers can become compromised. This is why it is essential to check up on the safety of your loved one, and make any necessary changes to ensure that they can stay safe and comfortable at home.
One easy change you can make is installing a camera doorbell. This will help to make sure that the only people who enter or approach your loved one’s home are those who are supposed to be there. These doorbells have small, yet powerful, cameras attached and can be run to a computer or smartphone to display real-time video so your loved one can see who is outside their home, from the safety of the indoors behind their locked doors. If they aren’t sure who is calling at the door, they can ignore them until they leave. Additionally, doorbell cameras are of use in the event that a package is stolen off the porch, to find out who the perpetrator was.
In the event that disaster or an emergency strikes and your loved one needs to contact someone for help, having a list of emergency numbers next to the phone is an excellent idea. In the heat of the moment, they may forget a number or where they have it written down, so having it right there next to the phone can be a huge help. Some important numbers are of course, 911, poison control, police and fire department non-emergency numbers, and emergency contacts such as nearby friends and family, as well as the number to the office of their healthcare provider.
Another wise idea is to take steps to make sure their home is safe. Many common areas of the home are potential disaster areas for seniors with limited mobility or muscular weakness. Some adaptations that can be of great help are shower seats and grab bars, stair climbers, non-slip textures in the shower floor, wider doorways and halls, controls and switches that can be reached from bed or a wheelchair, and railings. Consider getting rid of things like wheels on chairs, rubber backed mats, loose carpeting, locks on interior doors, and stray electrical cords and clutter. Installing better lighting in all through areas of the house, such as hallways and routes between the bedroom and the bathroom, with switches that control the lights on both sides of the journey, can cut down on accidental falls during nighttime bathroom trips.