Home Safety

1. Home Safety Carrie Wright OTR/L

2. Home is a personal and precious environment • Most effective to change the environment than to change most behaviors • Ensure safety for the aging adult and peace of mind for caregiver

3. Definition of a fall: A fall is an unintentional loss of balance causing a person to make unexpected contact with the ground or floor

4. Fall Risk Factors • Intrinsic: medical, vision, hearing, vestibular, muscle strength • Extrinsic: medication, environment, footwear, assistive devices

5. Fall Risk Factors • Modifiable Factors: extrinsic factors and some intrinsic factors (muscle strength) • Non-modifiable Factors: age, gender, race

6. It is our job to increase a persons awareness that their strength, balance, etc. is less then it was before. Many older adults do not consider some of the activities they do as being safe, as they have “ always done it”.

7. Fall Prevention • Exercise regularly • Medication review • Have vision checked regularly • Appropriate shoe wear

8. The Entrance • Steps to be textured • Mark the edges of steps with bright or reflective tape • Adequate lighting

9. The Entrance • Widen treads and shorten risers • Sturdy railings on both sides • Ramp

10. Living Room • Place decals at eye level on sliding glass doors, picture windows or furniture with glass • Adequate lighting • Keep remote controls out of sight • Clear pathways and remove clutter

11. Living Room • Place reflector tape on furniture corners • Keyed locks on windows • Childproof plugs in outlets • Decorate with solid colors vs. patterns

12. Bedroom • Picture of purpose of the room • Monitoring device • Remove scatter rugs • Night light

13. Bedroom • Install reverse locks or take door locks off • Clock by bed with sun and moon symbols • Remove clutter and clear pathways • Childproof plugs in outlets

14. Bedroom • Remove pictures of people • Contrasting colors for flooring and bedding • Bed transfer handles or modify the height of bed

15. Bathroom • Put sign on door on purpose of the room • Remove lock from door • Use contrasting colors • Set water heater to 120 degrees

16. Bathroom • Insert drain traps • Lock up electrical items and medicine • Single faucets • Use adaptive equipment

17. Bathroom • Use adequate lighting and night light • ADL checklists on laminated cards • Use clear shower curtain • Bath mat with non skid bottom

18. Kitchen • Childproof locks on cabinets • Remove scatter rugs • Safety knobs or automatic shut-off switch for the stove • Keep items at waist level

19. Kitchen • Adequate lighting • Disconnect garbage disposals • Remove decorative food • Insert drain trap in kitchen sink

20. Kitchen • Childproof plugs in outlets • Label drawers with words or pictures of the content • Remove outdated and/or spoiled food • Step stool with bar to hold onto

21. Stairs and Doorways • Install barriers or gates at steps • Adequate lighting • Place additional locks high up on a door • Put solid black mat in front of doors

22. Stairs and Doorways • Put up poster with seasonal scene on bedroom door as reminder of type of clothing to wear • Put up stop sign on door

23. Stairs and Doorways • Mark edges of steps with bright or reflective tape • Install door alarms • Hand rails on both sides

24. General Safety • Medical alert button • Lock up all potentially dangerous items • Phone with direct dialing for emergency and/or photos of who is being called • Smoke alarms

25. Home safety needs to be re-evaluated periodically as a persons behaviors and abilities change

26. Questions?????

27. Thank you