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Home Safety Tips
By Jennifer B. Buckley
You feel safe and secure with your
loved one watching television close by in the next room.
On a daily basis, you meticulously monitor their diet,
hygiene and warnings on their over-the-counter and
prescription medication. Nothing has been left to
chance, so you think. What about making your home safe
from injuries? Hidden dangers in the home can cause your
loved one to have a terrible fall but it can be avoided.
According to the Brain Injury Association, 60% of fatal
falls occur in the home and one out of every three
seniors fall at least once. The statistic is high but
prevention is attainable with some simple modifications.
Andrea Tannenbaum, president of Dynamic Living Inc., an
on-line Internet catalog featuring home safety products,
recommends performing a home safety check. Ms.
Tannenbaum believes it’s the first step in preventing a
terrible fall. The home safety check should consist of
the following questions:
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Is the lighting near stairways, hallways and doorways
adequate?
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Are the light switches easy to turn on and off?
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Is there a telephone and lamp on the nightstand?
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Is there a night light in the bathroom?
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Is all clutter picked up off the floor, especially
around pathways?
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Are there any broken floorboards, tears in the
linoleum, carpet or abrupt changes in the flooring, such
as thresholds that could cause tripping?
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Is there a tub or shower seat in the bathroom area?
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Are there sturdy grab bars where falls most
frequently occur: by stairs, by the bathtub or by the
toilet?
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Are throw rugs secured to the floor?
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Does the bathroom/shower have non-skid flooring?
After the safety check is complete, it is time to
evaluate what changes need to be made to ensure the
safety of your loved one but, just be sure to follow
through on making the necessary adjustments. According
to Ms. Tannenbaum, “Most of the modifications we
recommend, do not involve substantial lifestyle changes
or great sums of money, but they do have an enormous
impact on preventing accidents.” Dynamic Living Inc.
offers various products including: mobility items to
hearing and memory loss items that will keep your loved
one safe and comfortable in the home.
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