Safety First for Seniors By Cindy K. Sproles
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afety first! I remember my own mother chanting those words to me as a child and as I think back, many of the things my parents did to protect me around our home have simply cycled into the senior care for them. As children become caregivers it’s important to remember the safety first theory. Though safety in our parent’s home is sometimes more difficult, it is still vital to prevent falls and to prepare for the unexpected. With safety first in mind, here are some immediate things families can do to help protect their seniors from both inside hazards and outward hazards. • Remove items that obscure a clear walkway – Remove throw rugs that easily catch the toe of a shoe. Despite the fact your loved one knows where those rugs are located, this does not prevent a foot that once lifted when it walked but now scoots from catching on a loose rug and causing serious falls and injury. Clear footstools and furniture that may block a clear path through the home. Magazine racks are notorious for protruding into a walkway. Anything that can cause a senior who may teeter when they walk to catch a foot should be cleared away. • Consider auto shut-off appliances – As our loved one’s age, memory begins to fail and it’s not always memories of the past. It is memories of where they laid a book or if they shut off the coffee pot. Most small appliances come with auto shut-off included, but if a senior has owned the same iron for thirty years, it’s best to replace it with a new one that shuts off after a few minutes. The same is true of coffee pots and hot plates. Where ever these items can be replaced – do. • Install safety rails in bathrooms – Making a bathroom safe means making some changes. Add handrails to the tub/shower and even next to the toilet. Place non-slip rubber mats in the bottom of tubs or showers and consider adding a handheld showerhead along with a sliding shower seat that allows seniors to sit down first then twist to swing their legs into the shower. Sitting to bathe is much safer and prevents more falls than imaginable. Place a small shelf with toiletries and towels directly beside the tub so that seniors do not have to reach and stretch to attain the items. • Consider a Personal Emergency Device – PEDs are wonderful tools for seniors. These are buttons worn around the neck or wrist at all times, that can be pushed if your senior needs help. Note – Do your homework. There are companies avail-
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able that connect directly to a live person who can talk immediately with your senior. Some companies immediately dispatch 911 services, and seniors are obligated to pay the bill when they are dispatched. However, finding a service that connects to a live person, can not only save a senior costly services but can put them in contact with what is immediately needed. It could be a call to a family member who can manage the need as opposed to calling out the calvary. Every call a senior may make is not always life-threatening. It is important to remember that if you have a senior who suffers from dementia, these items may not be effective since their short-term memory may not remind them to push the button. In this case, there are PEDs that only note a fall. Check each option to assure you choose the one that best serves your loved one’s needs. • Consider in-home devices such as Alexa Echo, or in-home cameras like Blink or Ring – As frustrating as new technology is for seniors, having something like the Echo is great. Calling or answering a call is one button and most of these items include a “drop-in” button, which means you can check in on your loved one without making them answer the phone. This is a wonderful addition should you suspect a fall, or if your loved one is not answering the phone. • Get a senior cell phone – Stay away from smartphones since our seniors have difficulty maneuvering through the madness of a smartphone, but acquire a simple phone meant for senior use, i.e. Jitterbug, or Consumer Cellular. These phones can be preloaded with important numbers and they fit in the pocket for easy retrieval. • Check the locks – Finally, check the locks on doors. Remove the lock from a bedroom door or bathroom door to prevent accidental locking. Install press button deadbolts so seniors can enter an easily remembered number code to access. If wandering is a problem, then install deadbolts high on doors so they cannot be reached by seniors. With current security systems, you can lock and unlock doors remotely from your cell phone. • Do not advertise a senior’s home address – Sadly enough, seniors become the prey of scam artists. Never advertise your senior’s home address or phone number unless you are sure it is secure. These are only a few of the things families can do to protect their seniors. Remember, you are never wrong to consider safety first.
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Cindy K. Sproles is a novelist, speaker, and conference teacher. She is the cofounder of ChristianDevotions.us and the managing editor for Straight Street Books and SonRise Devotionals, imprints of Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas. Visit Cindy at www.cindysproles.com.