It has happened already so many times that people know as a fact: most serious injuries happen at home. And when it comes to the elderly, they are particularly affected by falls due to their aging process that leaves their bodies rather frail and susceptible to injuries.
If you have an older person living with you in the same house, there are quite a few things you can do to make their life easier and for the matter, safer. You can make various changes all over your home, including the bathroom, the kitchen, the basement, the entrance area, the garage, the stairs, the living room area, the bedroom and so on.
For example taking the bedroom:
- You need to have a bed that allows the feet to touch the floor easily when sitting on the edge of the bed
- Also the doorway should be accessible and there should be an uncluttered pathway to the bathroom
- A phone must be installed near the bed, and as a matter of fact it should be added in every room of the house to be easily accessible in case of any emergencies should the older person be alone in the house when the need arises
- There needs to be an extra flashlight on the table next to the bed and in the drawer should be a few extra batteries just in case
- The clothes have to be easily reachable
And here are a few tips for the staircase area:
- The stair should be well lit and no spot should be left in the dark
- A light switch needs to be within easy reach at both ends of the staircase, up and down
- The stairs cannot be cluttered with toys, clothes and other things. Tripping over things is too easy for anyone, particularly for the senior citizen
- The carpet should be quite secure without moving around and if there are any rugs at the bottom of the stairs, they should be removed
- Very important for a hand rail to be mounted on both sides of the stair for easy grabbing in case of need