One of the most important things you need to do in your home if a senior family member or friend is living with you is design your home in order to prevent falls. A single fall can drastically detract from the health of a senior and make him or her significantly less able to live independently.
The following are six important home organization tips you should implement to avoid falls around your home and make your home safe for older residents:
Don't allow any electric cords to run long distances across a room or hallway
Electric cords running across a room or hallway are a dangerous tripping hazard. Plug appliances and electronics into an outlet that's as close as possible to them to avoid running electric cords along the floor.
Make sure that all edges of rugs and carpets are secured tightly against the floor
Seniors have more trouble picking their feet up high enough off the ground when they walk to avoid catching their feet on rug and carpet edges. Make sure any rugs or carpets in your home are secured firmly against the floor to prevent tripping hazards. You should also make sure that any rugs and carpets you have are as thin as possible and don't rise up very high from the floor.
Never leave any clutter lying on the floor or even on top of furniture pieces
Be vigilant about keeping clutter off of your floor. Even clutter on top of a sofa or chair can cause a fall, so get into the habit of placing loose items inside storage drawers and on shelves as soon as you no longer need them.
Line hallways and stairways with handrails
If possible, place handrails liberally throughout your home so that your resident senior can enjoy some added stability when moving around from one room to another.
Arrange for bedrooms on the first floor of the home so seniors don't need to go up and down stairs
Even with handrails, stairs can be a dangerous challenge for elderly home residents. Hopefully, you have a room on the first floor of your home that can be used as a bedroom for your senior resident so that you can entirely avoid the hazard of going up and down stairs.
Ensure adequate lighting at all times in all rooms and hallways
It's a bad idea to rely on natural lighting in some rooms or hallways in your home if you you have seniors living with you. Poorly lit areas make a fall more likely. Keep all areas of your home brightly lit with electrical lighting fixtures so that they can be well lit even at night when the sun has gone down.
If you want to learn more about how to make your home senior-friendly, then contact a senior home services company like United Senior Services senior home health care. They will be able to provide information about how to care for your senior resident.
Share26 June 2017
