If you have elderly family members living with you or often visiting, making sure your home is as safe as possible for them is essential. Small changes can make a big difference in preventing falls and other accidents. Here are nine tips to help you create a safe home for seniors.
Make Your Home Safer for Senior Family Members
1. Safe Home for Seniors: Prevent Falls
Remove tripping hazards, including electrical cords, throw rugs, and clutter from walkways to prevent trips and falls. Consider installing cordless lighting wherever possible to eliminate loose cables.
2. Install Grab Bars to Create a Safe Home for Seniors
Add grab bars in the bathroom. Grab bars provide support and stability for elderly family members when getting in and out of the shower or bath and can help prevent falls.
3. Safe Home for Seniors: Secure the Handrails
Check handrails on all stairs to verify they are secure. Handrails help elderly family members keep their balance, and it is essential that they are stable.
4. Store Necessities Within Reach
Keep frequently used things within reach. Items like the remote control, phone, and medications should be easy to locate so elderly family members don’t have to strain or reach too far to get them.
5. Improve the Lighting to Create a Safe Home for Seniors
Make sure all rooms are well-lit. Good lighting can help prevent trips and falls and make it easier for elderly family members to navigate the house.
6. Add Non-Slip Mats
Use non-slip mats in the kitchen. Non-slip floor mats prevent accidental slips in the kitchen, which is one of the most common places for accidents.
7. Use a Stair-Lift
Install a stair-lift if your home is a multi-level property. While this is a significant investment, it makes it possible for someone in a wheelchair to use the upper levels of the home.
8. Add Rails in Outdoor Living Spaces
Put rails on porches and decks and the steps that lead to them. Rails provide support and stability for those needing them and can help prevent outdoor falls.
9. Don’t Use Rugs
Remove rugs entirely, or use double-sided tape to keep them securely in place, so they don’t become a tripping hazard.
Making your home safe for elderly family members doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. In many cases, small changes can significantly prevent accidents. These nine tips can create a safer environment for everyone in the home.
HG Home Inspection provides inspection to homebuyers and sellers in Houston, TX, and the surrounding areas. Contact us to schedule our services.