If you are interested in making your home a safe place to live or trying to help a loved one stay independent in their home, it is important to consider what measures you can take to ensure senior safety, especially if they are going to live alone as a senior.
The set of challenges a senior faces are different from those that face others when it comes to safety, especially home safety. While it is highly important for them to consider typical safety measures, such as turning the stove off, and keeping electrical system up to date, and the home in good repair, there are other things they must do to ensure their safety.
Let’s take a look at some of the things you can do to ensure your safety when you live alone as a senior:
One of the biggest things you can do when you live alone as a senior is get a medical alert system with a button to push if you have an emergency. This allows you to stay independent, but gives you the reassurance that should you slip and fall, or have a medical emergency you will not be lying on the floor of your home for hours, in pain hoping someone will stop in. Instead you can push a button and get an immediate response.
Most of us wait until an emergency occurs before getting a medical alert device. However, if you are going to live alone, prevention, and planning is a better idea. The fear and insecurity that comes when you do have a medical emergency situation and no ability to call for help can be debilitating. So if you want to keep your independence, a medical alert system is a great idea.
Another thing you can do to help ensure your safety when you live alone as a senior is to have plenty of locks on your doors and windows. Seniors are often targets of burglaries, as they can often afford nicer things, and take less care to lock doors, and close windows. So, keep your shrubs cut low, make sure your outside lighting is good, and make sure windows are locked, and doors are locked. This will keep you safe from outside harm.
Next, to stay safe as a senior who lives alone at home, you will want to make some simple changes in your home to aid prevention of safety concerns. This means things like moving the items you use most in the kitchen to the most easily accessed cupboards. Clearly mark the off position for burners on your stove. Change batteries on smoke detectors twice a year. It means installing grab bars in tubs and showers, and support bars near the toilet, or raised toilet seats to help in these areas. Secure the rugs to the floor so you do not trip on them, and having sufficient lighting on stairs and hallways. Simple changes can greatly increase your ability to move about your home, and live in your home alone with out fear of injury. Talk to a safety consultant if you want to take more serious steps towards making your home safer and more adapted to the challenges you face as a senior.
Part of ensuring your safety when you live alone as a senior is just having a system where you check up on your neighbors, and they check up on you. Have a family member call at the same time each day, or make sure you have plenty of activities lined up, and people to know you are OK. That way, should something happen, you will not have long to wait before someone figures out there is a problem and comes to your help.
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