10 Safety tips for senior citizen living alone
Man is essentially a social animal and living alone is not an ideal case scenario. Sadly in today’s world there are not many ideal case scenarios and elderly people seldom need to live all alone. Here are top ten safety tips and recommendations that can be useful for the elderly and senior citizens living all alone in their house.
Avoid Cluttered Furniture: One of the best ways to enhance the personal safety of a senior citizen is to have a de cluttered house. All pieces of extra and unwanted furniture must be placed in the store room away from the living room and bedroom areas. Cluttered furniture can easily cause the elderly to trip and take a fall which may lead to a serious medical condition.
Don’t Use Rugs: Rugs are another trouble area when it comes to elderly walking with a support stick. The support stick can easily entangle in the rugs and can cause a serious fall. All rugs socially throw rugs must be stacked away to help the elderly walk without any failure of judgment that may lead to an eventual fall which might hurt them physically.
Brighten Up: One of the most important security mechanisms is to upgrade the lighting of the house. Any low wattage bulbs must be replaced with higher intensity bulbs and lamps to provide clear vision for the elderly. Also make sure that the home receives ample sunlight. Elderly people may not have the strength to walk outside the house to soak in the winter sunlight which is helpful for their bones and other ailments. If the house can be remodeled allowing then easier access to sunlight, it can have a positive effect on their mental, emotional and physical health.
Install Grab Bars: Install safety bars which the elderly can hold on to in case of any accidental fall. Shortlist the areas with a potential falling likelihood for the elderly like corners and bathrooms. Installing such garb bars can make a huge difference in case of any accidental fall.
Use Non Skid Bath Mats: Bathroom is one of the most significant places where special attention needs to be given. Using of anti skid bath mats is one of the best ways to avoid an accidental fall in the bathroom.
Install Security Systems: Upgrading or installation of a new internal security system with close circuit TV cameras for the visitors is a must have for every senior citizen house. It is essential to install the system that is easily operated by the elderly in case of an emergency and can report the matter to their neighbors, friends, family or the police.
Don’t Forget the Smoke Alarm: Install a smoke alarm not only in the kitchen but all other rooms of the household to avoid any untoward fire related incident. Elderly specially the ones on certain medication may not realize the extent of fire because of oversleeping. The installation of such smoke alarm systems cuts out the worst case scenario in case of a fire.
Get a Wheelchair Ramp Installed: Get a wheelchair ramp installed outside the home for an emergency situation is one of the best ways to prepare for any eventuality. Health is such an important aspect that one must be prepared for any eventuality all the time. Making the interiors of the house wheelchair friendly is also advised just in case any elderly gets too weak to walk on his or her own and require the assistance of a wheelchair.
Stay Connected: Ask the elderly to stay connected with the friends and family members socially or over the phone each day. If you are living in a different house, make sure you call them each day to keep an update on their health and security. Also make sure you have access to the neighbors and other people living closely in case of any emergencies.
Keep a Portable Mobile Phone: Senior citizens and elderly must be given a set of mobile phone that they can keep with them at all point of time. Make sure that the mobile has speed dialing function enabled and the same is explained to the elderly for quick calling in case of any medical or other emergency.
