Making sure the Home is Safe for Your Elderly Relative: Top Checks to Make
Your elderly relative may need help in a number of ways, which can include assistance with staying safe around the home. Often this is easy enough for you to do, and there are various checks that you can help them with regularly to make the home a safer environment. Here are some to consider on a regular basis.
Check the Alarms
If there are smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarms and house alarms in the building, check that they are working regularly. Read the manufacturer’s recommendations, and you may find that you should test the alarms once a week to make sure they are in good working condition.
For the house alarm, make sure your elderly relative knows the code as well as how to use it. If you go out together, check that the code is being set correctly, and if they have trouble, help them out so they can come and go without any problems.
Make Sure Doors and Windows are Locked
If you go out together, check that the doors and windows are all locked, and remind your elderly relative of the importance of home security. Do the same when your relative goes to bed because thieves who target the elderly may look for windows that have been left open.
You may also want to ensure the shed or garage is locked, especially if there is a ladder or tools inside because opportunistic thieves may use tools that they find to assist their break in.
Keep Floors Free of Obstacles
Falls are one of the most common types of accidents for elderly people in the home, and they can have serious consequences. Make sure the home is safe by tidying up any items that you see on the floor that could cause an accident.
It is also a good idea to clean up spills as soon as they occur, and you should also move any electrical cables that could catch an ankle, and flatten down the edges of the carpets where they lift up.
Make Sure the Lights are Working Properly
If a light is not working properly, this could increase the chances that your elderly relative has an accident at night. Make it a habit to check the lights on a regular basis by going through the whole property and turning them all on and off. Also check that the security light is working.
Check the Security Chain
Does your elderly relative know how to use the security chain on their front door? If you have not yet got one, install a strong one that is easy to use and check that they can put it on themselves without any difficulties. Also remind them of the importance of using it when answering the door.
Ensure the Home is a Safe Environment
Safety is so important for elderly people, and by carrying out these simple checks you can reduce the risk of accidents and security threats to ensure that your elderly relative is safer at home. If you hire a care worker to help out once a week or every day, these are the sorts of checks that they will also help with to make sure your elderly relative is as safe as possible.
