How to Turn Home Sweet Home Into Home Safe Home

A growing number of seniors are realizing that there is no place they would rather live than the home they have grown fond of. However, the house that was once a haven can become a potential hazard for falls as we get older.

The home building and remodeling industry has responded to the trend of seniors wanting to age in place. The National Association of Home Builders, for instance, has created the Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS) program. CAPS  prepares home remodelers to adapt homes to the changing needs and physical abilities of seniors.

The NAHB reports that home modifications for older Americans have become the fastest growing segment of the home remodeling industry. The Administration of Aging of the U.S. Department of Health and Services provides a checklist to guide seniors and their families in assessing a house for needed aging-in-place modifications.
 
The Fall Prevention Center of Excellence, headquartered at the University of Southern California’s Andrus Gerontology Center, maintains a website, which offers extensive home modification resources for professionals and families across the country.

Reducing the Risk of Falls
 

Home modifications serve a number of purposes: helping seniors perform tasks more easily, preventing accidents, such as falls, and promoting independent living for as long as possible. They range from simple solutions, such as decluttering, elimination of throw rugs and moving a bedroom to the first floor, to installing assistive devices such as grab bars and ramps, to physical renovations, such as a walk-in or roll-in shower or electrical upgrades to eliminate the need for extension cords.
 
In combination with medication management and physical activity, home modifications are essential to reducing seniors’ risk of falls, which are a leading cause of death among older Americans. The Fall Prevention Center of Excellence reports that 60 percent of falls occur in the home, often the result of hazards such as loose throw rugs, clutter and obstructed pathways through the home, and lack of tub or shower grab bars.

The Fall Prevention Center of Excellence offers a comprehensive directory of resources to help families assess a senior’s home environment to determine needed modifications. In-home care providers, such as Comfort Keepers^®, can help seniors and their families with adaptations and modifications to promote safety and independence.

In addition, the National Directory of Home Modification and Repair Resources provides a nationwide guide to providers of home modifications with the caveat that the listing does not serve as an endorsement.

Coupled with home modifications, technology solutions, such as SafetyChoice^® by Comfort Keepers,  can enhance the safety and independence of seniors around the clock. SafetyChoice offers devices such as a personal emergency response system, motion detectors, pressure sensitive mats, a GPS locator and a medication solution.

Removing Home Hazards
 

Following are just a few tips on how to reduce the risk of falls at home:

• Move chairs, coffee tables and other furniture to create safe pathways.
• Clear pathways of electrical and phone cords, newspapers, boxes, etc.
• Secure loose rugs, to prevent tripping, with double-faced tape, tacks or slip-resistant backing.
• Store dishes, food, clothing and other daily necessities in easy reach.
• Repair loose wooden floorboards and carpeting.
• Place nonslip mats in the bathtub or shower and nonslip treads on bare wood steps.
• Improve lighting--as sensitivity to light decreases with age--to decrease the risk of tripping and falling.
• Locate night lights in the bedroom, hallways and bathroom and place a lamp by the bed within easy reach in case you need to get up in the middle of the night.
• Install light switches at the top and bottom of stairs so you can switch on lights before going up or down. Consider installing illuminated switches.
• Use assistive devices to make everyday tasks easier and safer, such as grab bars mounted inside and just outside the shower or bathtub, a raised toilet seat, and a shower chair in the shower or tub.