As a last word on this subject, I want to discuss home safety for seniors that live alone. As an example, let’s take my friend Karen (fellow blogger on RetireUSA). She is a very youthful and active retiree, a member of the Ashland Rowing Club, an avid gardener, enthusiastic hiker, and participant in yoga classes. While we are “best friends” and usually chat on the phone or e-mail every day, these conversations often occur early in the morning, and then perhaps we don’t touch base again for another 24 hours or longer. In the interim, she has gone out hiking with her dog, or has been busily repairing her chicken coop or some plumbing issue in her garden irrigation system, and has accidentally tripped and fallen. Now what? It gets very cold here in Oregon at night, up until the summer months, and spending hours on the ground could present serious health issues in addition to the pain from the broken bone or whatever happened in the fall.
One solution is to subscribe to a system such as Lifeline. This is a small device that is worn like a wristwatch, or around the neck like a medallion. You can designate the people you want to be called in an emergency, in whatever order you choose, by just pushing one button on the device. For example, Karen might want to have me contacted first, but if I’m not home, the system would automatically continue to call the next number on the list like Jan or Marianne. If none of us are available, the system keeps scrolling through Karen’s list until it finally contacts someone. Some people prefer to have the system call 911 immediately.
Another option is to carry your cell phone or portable device in your pocket or a small pack at all times. However, this is not as reliable as Lifeline, since you may forget to keep it with you, whereas Lifeline is worn like a piece of jewelry at all times.
Showing posts with label home safety for seniors. Show all posts
Showing posts with label home safety for seniors. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Keeping your retirement home safe
Some of us retirees have lived in our family home for 30 years. Others have opted for a more carefree lifestyle in one of the many types of resort-style retirement communities or some variation of a continuing care retirement community (See April 5, 2009 post). If you're one of the former group of retirees who just can't let go of the big family home and yard, then you need to think about keeping your retirement environment safe.
As a Home Health Physical Therapist, I have gathered up a lot of ideas for home safety for seniors, and will share some of them with you in the next several blogs. While retirement communities and assisted living apartments have often designed their units with home safety for seniors in mind, many of these principles can also be applied. These may seem like pure common sense, but if you gain even one bit of knowledge that will prevent a fall, I have done my job!
The first area I will address is the bathroom. This is probably one of the most common places that falls occur.
1) Make sure bathroom rugs are securely attached to the floor or have rubberized non-slip backing.
2) Install grab bars in the shower. Make sure they are anchored into studs.
3) Use a tub transfer bench or a shower chair if appropriate.
4) Put non-skid tape or decals on the floor of your tub or shower.
5) Install night lights in hallways, bathrooms, and bedrooms.
6) Keep trash receptacles emptied so debris does not accumulate and spill over onto the floor.
7) Keep shower curtains inside the tub so water doesn’t spill out onto the floor.
8) Wipe up spills promptly.
9) Keep soap within easy reach while you are in the tub or shower, and make sure soap dish is located so soap does not fall out of tub or shower stall onto the floor.
10) Install a fan in the bathroom so steam from the bath or shower does not build up.
11 Organize cabinets so you don’t have to stretch and reach overhead.
12) Use non-skid floor wax, or none at all.
13) Consider using a bedside commode if you have to get up frequently in the night to go to the bathroom.
14) Use a toilet riser or install grab bars if you have difficulty arising from a low toilet seat. Make sure they are securely installed.
As a Home Health Physical Therapist, I have gathered up a lot of ideas for home safety for seniors, and will share some of them with you in the next several blogs. While retirement communities and assisted living apartments have often designed their units with home safety for seniors in mind, many of these principles can also be applied. These may seem like pure common sense, but if you gain even one bit of knowledge that will prevent a fall, I have done my job!
The first area I will address is the bathroom. This is probably one of the most common places that falls occur.
1) Make sure bathroom rugs are securely attached to the floor or have rubberized non-slip backing.
2) Install grab bars in the shower. Make sure they are anchored into studs.
3) Use a tub transfer bench or a shower chair if appropriate.
4) Put non-skid tape or decals on the floor of your tub or shower.
5) Install night lights in hallways, bathrooms, and bedrooms.
6) Keep trash receptacles emptied so debris does not accumulate and spill over onto the floor.
7) Keep shower curtains inside the tub so water doesn’t spill out onto the floor.
8) Wipe up spills promptly.
9) Keep soap within easy reach while you are in the tub or shower, and make sure soap dish is located so soap does not fall out of tub or shower stall onto the floor.
10) Install a fan in the bathroom so steam from the bath or shower does not build up.
11 Organize cabinets so you don’t have to stretch and reach overhead.
12) Use non-skid floor wax, or none at all.
13) Consider using a bedside commode if you have to get up frequently in the night to go to the bathroom.
14) Use a toilet riser or install grab bars if you have difficulty arising from a low toilet seat. Make sure they are securely installed.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)