5 Living Room Safety Tips for National Safe at Home Week

Home Care in Sudbury MA

August 22 through 25 is National Safe at Home Week. This is the ideal time for you to think about your parent’s needs and challenges and make any necessary changes in their home that can help them to stay safer as they age in place. One area of the home where this can be particularly impactful is the living room. If your aging parent is like many seniors, they spend a considerable amount of time in their living room, relaxing, visiting with friends and family members, or enjoying their favorite activities and pastimes. Ensuring the safety of this space is important for helping your parent to avoid injuries and live a fulfilling and comfortable lifestyle.

Use these tips to ensure that your parent’s living room is safe:

• Clear the walkways. Take a walk through your parent’s living room moving from place to place as they would, such as from the door to the sofa and from the sofa to the television. As you do this, look down and pay attention to anything that might be in the way. Try walking with the same basic gait as your parent so that you can detect any issues that might be specific to them. Clear away any potential obstructions such as decorations, piles of magazines, or electrical cords.
• Do not overload the outlets. Today’s technology-filled lifestyle can be hard on homes that were built and wired before the onslaught of appliances and electronics that tend to fill contemporary houses. Keep this in mind when arranging your parent’s entertainment or lighting systems. Overloading outlets can cause the wiring to short, potentially causing a fire.
• Remove unstable furniture. Seniors with mobility or balance issues often reach for furniture to stabilize themselves as they walk. If there is a piece of furniture that is not stable, however, it could cause serious injury. The item might topple over, hitting your parent or falling on top of them, or it could slide away from them, potentially causing them to fall. Remove items that are very lightweight, top-heavy, or have wheels.
• Add lighting. Ample lighting is critical to anyone who is dealing with low vision. Having enough lighting will help your parent to move around the space confidently, helping them to avoid impact injuries from walking into things, or falls due to tripping.
• Consider security. If your parent’s living room also contains the front door to the home, keep their personal security in mind. Discourage them from leaving the window treatments up if that would make them easily visible from the outside. Ensure that all windows and doors lock securely. Consider adding a security camera with video and two-way audio so that if someone comes to the door, your parent can check it without having to get near the door.

Non-medical care can be one of the best decisions that you can make for your aging parent when it comes to keeping them safe, secure, and healthy throughout their later years. A non-medical caregiver can be there with your parent as often as is needed according to their specific needs and challenges. This means that they can receive the care, support, and encouragement that they need while also living the active, engaged lifestyle that they desire and maintaining as much independence as they can.