Aging in Place: 10 Tips to Make a Home Safe For Seniors

Aging in place offers many benefits and making a home safe for seniors helps elderly loved ones stay independent. Many senior citizens prefer to retain autonomy over their living arrangements. This article offers useful tips for creating a safer living space for the elderly.

Important Concerns When Making a Home Safe for Seniors

There are two major risk factors that affect independence: falls and house fires. Careful planning helps reduce the likelihood of both of these threats.

People over the age of 65 run a higher risk of sustaining injury or death in house fires than younger adults. Many seniors lack the physical agility required to extinguish small fires quickly or to escape danger if a blaze begins.

Slips and falls are the leading cause of injury in aging people. The National Council on Aging reports that the most common residential hazard facing people over the age of 65 is falling. Health conditions that cause fainting or fluctuating blood pressure can exacerbate this problem.

Tips For Making a Home Safe For Seniors

Use these helpful tips to help make a home safe for seniors. You’ll want to evaluate the premises and take into consideration your loved one’s unique situation.

1. Remove any items that block foot traffic areas through the home: poorly placed furniture, tangled computer cords or cables, and other clutter.

2. Add handrails to stairs.

3. Remove area rugs and loose carpeting that can make people trip and fall.

4. Install and maintain a functional smoke alarm in every room.

5. Place professionally installed grab bar supports in bathrooms and bedrooms.

6. Discourage seniors from wearing loose footwear or robes that might contribute to accidental slips and falls.

7. Add motion-sensor lighting to promote better interior visibility.

8. Schedule regular HVAC cleaning and maintenance services to prevent fire hazards.

9. Place anti-slip mats in showers and tubs.

10. If an elderly person’s bedroom is on the second floor of the home, move it to the first floor.

A Smart Investment

The effort you make to help make a home safe for seniors is worth it to keep your loved ones comfortable. By following these tips when making adjustments to the home, you’ll also enhance an elderly person’s quality of life.

Attic to Foundation Home Inspections offers home inspection services in the Greater Atlanta area. Contact us to request an appointment.