Home Safety Tips

Improving support and safety throughout the home:

• Have smoke detectors installed near kitchen and bedrooms
• Have safety rails in showers and tubs
• Install handrails up stairs and in bathrooms
• Use non-slip flooring in kitchens and bathrooms
• Remove any loose rugs
• Move furniture around to create less confusion
• Remove any dangling telephone cords
• Mirrors can distort the loved one's view when walking, and should not be placed where they can easily be bumped into

Ways to correct visibility and lighting problems:

• Use bright, vivid colors to light up rooms
• Make sure hallways and stairways are well lit
• Lighted switch plates make finding switches at night easier
• Have night lights in between bedrooms and bathrooms
• Use easily reached cords that can turn a light on and off in closets
• Basements should be very well lit considering the steepness of stairs going up and down

Methods to improve movement and sight throughout the house:

• Use rails in beds to support movement getting in and out of bed
• Use lever handle door knobs instead of circular knobs
• Use a flexible shower head and a chair for your loved one to sit on when bathing
• If they are wheelchair bound, have a ramp installed that can be used to get them up the front steps or stairways
• Use large button telephones
• Clocks should be large enough with both numbers and dials easily seen
• A commode near their bed can be used in emergencies
• Shelving in closets should sit low enough for easy access
• Place a raised toilet seat in their bathroom
• Chairs need to sit high enough and be supported by arm rests so there is some security when they sit