Did you know that 1 in 4 Americans over the age of 65 falls each year? In fact, an elderly person is treated in the emergency room every 11 seconds for a fall.
And, worst of all, falls are among the leading cause of fatal injury among older adults.
Clearly, falling is a major issue among the elderly population. If you have an elderly parent, you’re probably wondering what you can do to prevent them from falling.
Obviously, you can’t be around 24/7 to make sure they don’t get hurt, so what can you do?
The best thing to do to prevent falls and other injuries is to create a safe living environment for your parents.
Check out this safety for seniors guide to learn how to prepare your home for frail parents.
1. Call in a Pro
First things first, you should call in a professional to help assess your home.
Physical therapists, occupational therapists, and geriatric managers are all great resources for assessing your home. These professionals can recommend remodeling projects and modifications to make your home more senior-friendly.
Plus, they’ll be able to offer you solutions that are within your budget, and they’ll be able to help your elderly parent learn safety techniques that can help prevent them from falling.
2. Pathways
If the pathway to your home is filled with cracked sidewalks and uneven surfaces, then you need to make a change.
This is a huge danger zone, so you should reconstruct and smooth out these surfaces for maximum mobility.
Here are some other things you can do to make your pathways and walkways more senior-friendly:
- Add non-slip flooring to the entry of your home
- Add non-slip strips to the outside of your home
- Repair uneven surfaces and cracks
- Build a no-rise entry with ramps
- Install rails on stairs that are a minimum of 1.5 inches in diameter
- Use contrast stripes on the stairs to help with visibility
3. Entryways
Falls and injuries often occur in the entryways of homes.
Here are some things you can do to make your entryways safer for your elderly parents:
- Aim for one or more entrances without steps
- Make sure you have at least one covered entry into your home that is completely protected from the elements (snow and ice can be particularly dangerous for seniors)
- Increase lighting in entryways
- Add motion-sensor lights to your entryways, which is especially important if you have stairs
4. Kitchen
The kitchen is where we tend to spend the majority of our time, so it’s very important that you make yours senior-friendly.
Also, remodeling your kitchen can help significantly increase the value of your home, so this is money well spent.
Here’s how you can make your kitchen safer for your parents:
- Purchase kitchen appliances that have easy-to-read controls and easy-to-use buttons
- Switch to a wall oven for easier access
- Add in a microwave drawer
- Change the storage design so that the most used items are easy to reach
- Switch to glass cabinets so that your parents can identify objects without needing to open and shut everything
- Install varying counter heights so that your kitchen is usable for all ages
- Have a good blend of natural and artificial light for aesthetics and convenience’s sake
5. Bathroom
The bathroom is definitely one of the rooms where the most falls occur. Unsurprisingly, a lot of these falls happen around the shower area, which is why you need to be extra diligent when redesigning this room for your loved ones.
Here’s how to make the bathroom more senior-friendly:
- Add slip-prevention flooring to the bathroom floor and shower floor
- Place non-skid bathmats inside and outside of the tub
- Install handlebars in the shower to give your loved ones a better grip
- Purchase a swivel shower chair so elderly parents can safely wash from a seated position
- Make sure the sink, toilet, and shower are at heights that are accessible to all ages
- If possible, install a curbless walk-in shower
- Add back bracing to the walls that have grab bars
- Install adjustable-height, hand-held showerheads so water can be easily directed where it’s needed
- Add extra lighting inside the shower
6. Bedroom
If your parent is moving in with you, it’s best to place them on the first floor.
This is so they don’t have to deal with stairs and so they can easily be heard if they call for help.
Ideally, you’ll want to choose a room that’s close to the bathroom, kitchen, and living room. Also, make sure their room is free from clutter and that the closet space is easily accessible.
7. Windows
As we age, we require more light for tasks, such as reading, sewing, or watching TV.
This is why adding or enlarging existing windows is a great idea for your elderly parents. Plus, big windows can help your parents feel less isolated, and it makes it easy for them to watch their grandkids and pets at play.
To offer more privacy to your large windows, be sure to install blinds or drapes. If your parent doesn’t want to be woken up by the sun, you can also install blackout curtains in their bedroom.
8. Open Design
Last but not least, it’s very important that your elderly parent’s home has a very open design.
By open design, we mean that there should be a minimal amount of doors and hallways to navigate. Rooms should flow easily into one another, and spaces should be free of clutter.
You should also focus on arranging your furniture in such a way so that each room still has space to move around in and so there’s no chance of tripping over anything.
You may want to consider installing sliding walls so that you can create multifunctional rooms.
Safety for Seniors: Are You Ready to Prepare Your Home?
After reading this safety for seniors guide, you can now see that there are plenty of ways to prepare your home for elderly parents.
Now, all you need to do is start the design process!
Be sure to check back in with our blog for more home design tips and tricks.