Seniors age 85 and older are five times more likely to die in a fire than those younger mostly because of physical impairments. In addition, falls in the home can cause fractures, which can lead to loss of independence and health complications. During home safety month seniors and their caregivers should take steps to create a safer home environment.
The Home Safety Council has a webpage geared specifically towards seniors and their loved ones. You can create a custom safety checklist depending on the type of home you have, and visit “Tour My Safe Home” to check out safety tips for each room of the house, depending on the type of accident you want to prevent such as falls, fires, or poisoning. A safe environment can allow older adults to live independently for a longer time in their own home.
Certain chronic diseases can increase the likelihood that a person will injure themselves at home. For more information on how Alzheimer’s may put your loved one at risk, check out the Alliance’s caregiver workbook, which includes a home safety checklist specifically geared towards those with Alzheimer’s disease. Fixing safety hazards in our home is an easy way to help keep ourselves and our loved ones safe.
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This is an informative post. I agree that we should be careful even in our houses. Accidents can happen and the only way to avoid from happening is to know the different safety precaution in our houses.
I would appreciate info on communes for older people - alternative social structures to old age homes. Are there any case studies please? Thanks
Thanks for the links Dan.
Elder care is something becoming more and more a focus of the health care discussions I have everyday, especially when it comes to the care of patients over the age of 80. Your blog has become an excellent resource for me.
This is a very important point that you discussed. Accidents can be caused by sheer carelessness... And senior people are more likely to be victims of such household accidents.
When I read that, I just get sad. wow.. However, that is the truth about getting older. My question would be, would living in a senior living home be beneficial? From a safety stand point?
My Gran father is nearly 81, and over the years he has had a lot of harming accidents. But not because of himself, but because others were careless with him. How sad..
Statistics cannot lie; who would have thought that our households would be the primary areas for personal injuries. I think ladder falls are right up there...at least up here in Canada.
Very informative and relevant topic for all of us.
Daniel Tetreault.
Victoria, BC
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There are many support groups than can and do involve themselves with services for the elderly. This included maintaining healthy conditions to minimize risk of injuries. Regular service for the elderly can and should be conducted on a regular basis as a form of communication.
The Home Safety Council website is an excellent resource. Thanks. I only had 1 smoke alarm in my home but have now installed 1 in each room as well as getting a carbon monoxide detector.
I think safety conciousness comes with having a family.
if you are ever in the mood to go exploring on your own or with friends, I recommend biking through the city. You see a lot more from your bike than you would from an automobile. One of my favorite bike trips is taking the Euclid Ave. bike lane downtown through the city, then over the Detroit Superior Bridge. You can bike down Detroit Rd. all the way until Lincoln Park, which is part of the Cleveland Metroparks and is a beautiful oasis of green in the city.
It only makes sense that most accidents occur at home seeing as this is where elderly people spend most of their time.
I think governments need to assist in making the home more safe though, with initiatives that send medical or fire professional to their homes to risk proof their home. This would save money in the long run if there were fewer accidents.
Great resource! Thanks for the guidelines you have shared, Really informative & valuable discuss.