Common Safety Hazards in Seniors’ Homes

More seniors are choosing to age in place, but this means their safety within their home is even more critical. The home should allow them to easily navigate and access materials with minimal risk of falling or injury.  According to Always Best Care of Asheville-Hendersonville, in-home care providers can support seniors in living more safely and comfortably, but proper precautions should still be taken. There are several common hazards to be aware of when evaluating your senior’s home:

• Poor lighting: As people age, their vision may decrease making it more difficult to see in dim lighting. This can make them more susceptible to tripping and falling. Replace any burnt out lightbulbs and consider installing motion sensor lights or night lights, especially in hallways or stairwells. Common areas where seniors spend the most time should also be well lit.
• Tripping: Check for any pieces of carpeting or tiling that are loose or damaged. If rugs are used, make sure that they are securely fastened to prevent slipping. Seniors may shuffle their feet, especially if their vision is poor, and this can increase risk of tripping on uneven or slippery surfaces. Also check to make sure there are no cords stretched near walkways and that they are safely tucked out of the way.
• Furniture: It can become more difficult for seniors to get up and down or maintain their balance, so they may rely on furniture for help. While lightweight furniture is easier for them to move, it can be a hazard when shifting from a standing to sitting position or vice versa. Provide sturdy chairs with arms and higher backs for more support.
• Stairs: Tighten up existing handrails or install new ones if they are not already there. Also consider grab bars in the bathroom to assist with stepping over the side of the bathtub.
• Slippery surfaces: The bathtub and tiled floors can become slippery and dangerous, especially with condensation buildup. Use non-slip mats to provide more durable surfaces for standing and walking on. Encourage your senior to wear sneakers, slippers, or socks that fit snugly and have non-slip bottoms to further reduce fall risk.
• Clutter: Try to keep your senior’s home organized and remove any clutter that could fall or be a tripping hazard. Ensure walkways are clear and wide enough for easy navigating. Make items on shelves more easily visible and accessible. Put commonly used items where they are within reach to minimize reaching and stooping.
• Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors: Check the detectors in your senior’s home every six months or as soon as there is an indication that a battery is dying. Smoke detectors should be installed in each bedroom and in common areas throughout the home. If your senior has hearing problems, consider alarms that also have flashing lights for increased awareness.

Conduct periodic checks for any potential hazards in your senior’s home and observe how well they are able to get around and tend to basic tasks. An in-home caregiver can assist your senior with many daily activities and help improve their safety and wellbeing. They can also notify you of any concerns that may arise. Contact Always Best Care of Asheville-Hendersonville at (828) 989-7263 or visit our website to learn more about how senior services can benefit your loved one.

Tips for Preventing Identity Theft in Seniors

Identity theft can be a serious issue and lead to many problems. Protecting personal information is essential to warding off potential scams. Unfortunately seniors are often the targets of identity theft because by this point in their life they have often accumulated significant savings for retirement, have built high credit limits, possess lower debt, and may check their credit report less frequently since they are generally not making large investments.

There are several steps that seniors and their loved ones can take to reduce the risk of identity theft:

• Keep personal information in a safe place. Place financial statements, medical documents, credit cards, check books, and any other personal documents in a locked safe or other secure location. This can help to prevent it from getting into the wrong hands by being easily accessible. If your senior is in the hospital, leave all of their information with a trusted family member rather than leaving it in their room. Should the hospital need to see any insurance or verification, the family member can provide it.
• Shred any documents with personal information. Any papers with personal information such as full name, address, social security number, account numbers, birth date, or other essentials should be shredded before being thrown away. The same goes for financial documents. This can make it more difficult for thieves to acquire the information they seek.
• Don’t give out information over the phone. The phone is an easy way for scammers to get private information. They may ask for a social security number or account number before they say they will share important information. Be wary of providing any of these details over the phone. Carefully screen calls and register on the National Do Not Call List to help reduce telemarketing interactions. If you are suspicious of the caller, ask for a number to call them back on that will verify their company or identity.
• Make a copy of your Medicare card. Medicare cards often include your full social security number. To help prevent this information from being stolen, after a company has seen the original card, make a copy and black out the first 5 digits. Keep the photocopy in your wallet and lock the original in a safe place.
• Check your credit report. Periodically checking your credit report can help to identify fraudulent activity. Report any suspicious activity to the proper authorities and take safety precautions to prevent further use of your personal information.

Be mindful of how your personal information is being collected and used. Set up anti-virus and security software on your computer to help prevent theft. Pay attention to the sites you use and who has access to your information. Being proactive and taking the proper steps to protect your identity can help to reduce your risk of identity theft.

Safety Goals to Focus on in the New Year

While many people are committing themselves to an exercise regimen or an improved diet as 2014 rolls around, those who care for elderly individuals often have different priorities in mind. When it comes to home care, the professionals of Always Best Care Asheville-Hendersonville explain that safety should remain a priority. In fact, the new year is a great time to re-evaluate the safety of your loved one’s home, allowing you to make necessary changes to protect them.

Safety priorities

As you begin to analyze your elderly loved one’s home, home care professionals advise focusing on the following areas:

• Check smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors to ensure that they’re working properly
• Ensure that there is a fire extinguisher readily accessible
• Verify that your senior has a well established emergency escape plan in the event of a fire or other unexpected situation
• Make sure that fireplaces are outfitted with protective screens
• Verify that the home is properly lit, and check to make sure that bulbs haven’t burnt out near walkways, porches, and outside stairways

Taking care of hazards around the home

Senior care professionals explain that it is important for a caregiver to address any hazards that may exist in an elderly individual’s living space. To do this, attend to the following:

• Eliminate raised doorway thresholds
• Get rid of clutter, particularly if it is on the floor where your senior could trip on it
• Attend to loose carpet that could become a tripping hazard
• Use nonskid floor wax
• Shift furniture and electrical cords so that they are not lying where people are walking
• Add sturdy handrails to stairs
• Install nightlights in hallways and bathrooms
• Make sure that the property is cared for, and that snow and ice are taken care of regularly

Bathrooms are another common place where slips and falls occur. To make sure that your senior stays safe in the bathroom, focus on the following:

• Install shower chairs or bath benches for a safer bathing experience
• Put grab handles into place in bathrooms
• Make sure the tub is outfitted with nonskid mats
• Encourage your senior to get into the shower by putting their weaker leg in first, and suggest that they exit by placing their stronger leg first.

Regardless of your senior’s level of independence, it is always wise to put safety measures in place to prevent accidents from happening as they attend to daily tasks.