Senior Home Safety Checklist

Senior Home Safety Checklist

Home safety for seniors takes on added importance as we age, particularly when it comes to preventing falls. Every 15 seconds, an older adult receives emergency room treatment for fall-related injuries, according to the National Council on Aging. In addition to broken bones, falls are a leading cause of traumatic brain injury in seniors.

As we age, we experience a variety of health issues. These issues can bring about symptoms that impact senior home safety. Diabetic neuropathy can lead to foot numbness, reducing awareness of foot placement and normal sensation. Visual problems like macular degeneration and cataracts can decrease our safety without appropriate lighting and home safety modifications. In addition, we face a decline in agility, balance and strength. Medications can cause side effects such as dizziness, fatigue, nausea and frequency of urination. These factors make falling a greater hazard.

Senior fall risk assessment

Here are some of the indicators that a senior may be experiencing health challenges that require further medical assessment, home modifications to safely age in place, or require assisted living or home care services. The home may seem cluttered when seniors struggle with housekeeping or create spaces for their necessities.

Key signs of senior home safety issues include:

• Stacks of mail, dishes and reading materials; prescription bottles in various locations or a days-of-the-week pill box; beds, dishes or laundry that are undone. Sometimes an individual wears the same clothes for multiple days because their balance is threatened when they try to change clothes or manage laundry.
• A footstool by the bed indicates the person’s mattress is too high for them to easily get into. Conversely, a low mattress can be difficult for them to get up safely. Sometimes seniors move into their favorite recliner and no longer attempt to get into and out of bed for fear of falling.
•  A toilet paper roll holder or a towel rack in the bathroom that is loose or has come out of the wall is an indication that someone has used it to try and help stand up because they do not have the transfer strength they need.
• If someone has already fallen, that is an indication the home may no longer be a safe place. Bring in a professional to observe the person in their home to see whether medication is organized and being taken correctly, if there are lighting issues, home modification needs, durable medical equipment needs for safety in activities of daily living, and whether the person can safely prepare their meals, take out the trash or get to a doctor.

When seniors worry about balance, strength, or experience a fall, they often reduce activity and become more isolated. This creates a negative cycle. People don’t necessarily think of isolation as a hazard, but it has physical and emotional consequences. Being home alone for long stretches leads to reduced cognitive activity, which is linked to dementia and depression. Social interaction and having a purpose have been shown to improve mental health. On the physical side, a lack of activity hastens muscle loss.

If you notice your loved ones turning down invitations to outings, it may be a sign that they are facing declines. These declines could impact their safety and decision-making abilities.