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Home Safety For The Elderly...
How to Prevent Accidents in The Home.

Home Safety For The Elderly

Many more people are now living longer and enjoying life into their eighties and nineties. One of the consequences of advancing years is greater frailty due to declining health and mobility, leading to increased risk of injury and fatality due to accidents, especially in the home.

Home Accidents Elderly Statistics, show that every year around one in eight of those attending hospital following an accident in the home are aged 65 and over. In 1999 around 315,000 people aged over 75 years attended Accident & Emergency Depts. resulting from an accident at home.

It is therefore very important to make older people, their relatives and carers aware of the dangers and preventive measures, leading to increased home safety for the elderly.

Accident Prevention Elderly People.

Falls are the most common and serious type of accident in the over 65 age group and a major cause of accidents and death.

Action

  • Do take regular exercise to keep your muscles strong and joints flexible. Keeping as active as possible can make falls less likely. Regular physical activity, e.g. brisk walking, housework, dancing or keep fit classes, helps to improve your balance.

  • Ensure stairs and living areas are well lit. Fitting handrails on both sides of the stairs can make them safer and easier to climb.

  • Have your eyes tested regularly.

  • Keep floors and stairs free from objects such as trailing flexes, which may cause you to trip. Replace worn carpets or rugs and nail or tape down rug edges.

  • Discard poorly fitting shoes or slippers and don't wear high heels. Avoid trailing clothes which may trip you up

  • Use non-slip rubber mats in the bath or shower. Have handles fitted to assist entry and exit.

  • If you have to climb up always use proper steps.

Accidents Caused by Fire. The elderly are more at risk from fire due to a poor sense of smell, restricted or slow mobility and less resilience to the effects of smoke and burns.

Action

  • Fit smoke alarms, one on each floor, preferably mains operated or one with a ten-year battery and test them regularly.

  • Take care with smokers materials, ensure that all cigarette ends are safely extinguished and never smoke in bed.

  • Follow the manufacturer's instructions when using electric blankets and have them checked regularly.

Accidental Poisoning The main causes of accidental poisoning of people over 65 involves carbon monoxide, mains gas and medicine overdose.

Action

  • Have chimneys and flues swept at least once every year.

  • Ensure that all fuel burning boilers, fires and stoves are checked annually by a qualified person.

  • Exceeding prescribed drug doses is dangerous, always read and carefully adhere to the instructions on the label.

Burns and Scalds Contact burns to those over 65 can prove to be fatal. The main sources include radiators, electric fires and cookers. Scalding involving the use of kettles causes many injuries.

Action

  • Buy a cordless kettle or one with a coiled flex.

  • Use a fireguard and ensure nightwear is fire resistant.

  • Boil only enough water for your immediate needs.

  • Fit thermostatically controlled bath taps.

  • Always run the cold water first when having a bath or shower

Links for further information on home safety for the elderly:-

AMBER The Ideal Solution For The Care And Support Of Seniors

The LISA Home Monitor System...Provides A Convenient Solution For The Care OF The Elderly.

Elite’s Enterview 3 is an ideal door security solution.

www.rospa.co.uk/homesafety/advice/olderpeople/preventing_accidents.
Carbon Monoxide Detectors...Can Prevent Danger To You and Your Family in The Home.

www.helptheaged.org.uk/AdviceInfo/_default.