5 Ways to Make a Safer Home for Seniors | Senior Helpers - Chicago
Seniors want to be able to live safely and comfortably in their homes. And as we get older, our homes must be updated to meet our new needs. Home improvement can often be difficult, time-consuming, and costly. But there are many easy and inexpensive things you can do to make a safer home for seniors.
5 Simple Tips to Make a Safer Home for Seniors
Here are five simple home updates that can make your home safer for seniors.
1. Bathroom Updates
Grab bars are an excellent way to ensure seniors have something sturdy to hold when entering or exiting the bathtub or shower. This important addition will help prevent falls that may cause serious injuries and lacerations. Additionally, getting a slip-proof mat or applying a slip-proof adhesive product to the shower floor will also help prevent accidents.
A toilet seat riser is another essential bathroom device for the elderly and anyone that suffers from reduced mobility issues. These can help you stand up and sit down by raising the height of the toilet seat. In turn, this can make the entire restroom process a lot easier and safer for you. You can also install grab bars around the toilet to help have something to grab when standing back up.
2. Taping Down Rugs
Taping down rugs and runners is another important way to make a safer home for seniors. With these, you can prevent falls before they happen. Using tape or a nonskid backing keeps them in place so they don't slide around on bare floors, making them more dangerous for those with balance problems. If someone with difficulty walking trips on a rug or runner, they're very likely to fall due to not catching themselves quickly enough. Therefore, it's imperative that the carpet or runner remains in place to prevent injuries.
3. Install Motion-Sensor Lights and Switches
Seniors often have trouble seeing as they age, so installing motion-sensor lights and switches around the house is highly beneficial for anyone who tends to move about at night or in dimly lit areas of the house. These can help those who need to get up frequently at night to take medication or use the restroom. Motion-sensor lights and switches can be installed anywhere, including hallways and bathrooms, and are easy to install while still being affordable.
4. Declutter the Home
It's not just a matter of aesthetics. Clutter can be hazardous for anyone. This fact is especially true for seniors who are already struggling with mobility and balance. Make a safer home for seniors by ensuring all pathways are clear to walk through comfortably. Tall stacks of boxes could easily fall and hurt someone, while items on the floor could cause someone to trip and fall. But those aren't the only risks. Cluttered-up pathways could also make it difficult to escape in the event of a fire and make it difficult for emergency services to enter your home if you need help.
5. Emergency Alert System
Emergency alert systems are a great way to ensure that help is always close by in the event of an emergency. Many seniors have needed help and fortunately were able to press the emergency button on the system placed strategically throughout the home. They waited for help to arrive and were rescued from an unsafe situation because support was easily accessible. These systems save lives and are one of the most important things you can have in the home.
Not only does Senior Helpers of Chicago offer in-person services, but we also have a great new in-home system designed for seniors called Sensi. Sensi can act as a virtual caregiver that assists you with your daily needs. Please call us today if you'd like to learn more about Sensi.
An older adult living in their own home should be as safe and independent as possible. That is why people need to have practical and simple home updates for safety as they age. Senior Helpers Chicago can help you by providing quality and compassionate senior assistant services. Reach out today and let us help you maintain your independence. We're here to help.