Safety For The Elderly

By: Rob Parker, RHI, CHI, CMI

Each year, many people are treated in hospital emergency rooms for injuries associated with products they live with and use every day.

Slips, falls, and burns   are some of the main causes of injury for older people in the home. The following check list should help prevent these and other types of injuries:

• Check all electrical and telephone cords   to ensure they are not stretched across walk ways that may cause someone to trip and fall.
• Arrange furniture so that outlets are available for lamps and appliances without the use of extension cords.
• If you must use extension cords, place it on the floor against a wall where people cannot trip over it.

• Check furniture and carpets to make sure they are not resting on electrical cords. Damaged electrical cords present fire or shock hazards.
• Check all rugs, runners and mats to ensure they are safe. Where needed, apply double sided carpet tap or rubber matting.  Periodically, check rugs to see if new tape or backing is needed.

• To avoid burns from hot tap water, set the temperature control on the hot water tank  between 120 and 130 degrees Fahrenheit but,  not below 120.

• Check smoke and carbon-monoxide detectors to ensure they are working properly. At least one working smoke detector is needed on every floor of your house. Make sure the detector is near the bedrooms either on the ceiling or 6 to 12 inches below the ceiling on the wall. There should also be at least one working carbon monoxide detector near the bedrooms.

• Change the batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors at least once a year.
• Check electrical outlets and switches. Are any outlets and switches unusually warm or hot to the touch?  Unplug cords from outlet and do not use switch until checked by an electrician. Unusually warm or hot outlets or switches may indicate that an unsafe wiring condition exists.
• Do all outlets and switches have cover plates, so that no wiring is exposed? Exposed wiring presents a shock hazard.
• Check to make sure light bulbs the appropriate size and type for the lamp or fixture. A bulb of too high in wattage or the wrong type may lead to fire through overheating. Ceiling fixtures, recessed lights, and “hooded” lamps will trap heat.
• Check space heaters. Heaters with a three prong cord should only be used in a grounded , three-pronged outlet. The ground pin should not be removed for use in a two pronged outlet.   Make sure the automatic “tip over” feature is working if the unit is equipped with one.
• Locate heaters away from passageways and flammable materials such as curtains, rugs, furniture, etc.
• If your house is equipped with space heaters that use kerosene, natural gas, or propane, make sure you understand the operating instructions thoroughly.   Un-vented heaters such as these should not be used unless a door or a window is slightly open to provide ventilation. The correct fuel, as recommended by the manufacture, should always be used. Vented heaters should have proper venting and should be checked frequently.
• Install grab-bars and non slip mats in the bathroom.
• Make sure grab bars are attached to the structural supports of the wall and not just the plaster or drywall, or install bars specifically designed to attach to the sides of the bathtub.
• Check bathroom outlets. These should be GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interupter ) if not, they should be replaced accordingly and if not working, should be repaired.
• Check fuse or breaker panel.  Replacing a correct size fuse with a larger size fuse can present a serious fire hazard. If the fuse in the box is rated higher than that intended for the circuit, excessive current will be allowed to flow and possibly overload the outlet and the house wiring to the point that a fire can begin. Be certain the correct-size fuse is being used.  If you do not know the correct sizes, consider having an electrician identify and label the size to be used. Typically,  most house holed  circuits require only a 15 amp fuse or breaker.
• Make sure stairwells  have enough lighting to allow a person to see the entire area. Handrails should be secure.  If space permits, install handrails on both sides of the stair well. Ripped or worn carpeting can lead to insecure footings , resulting in slips or falls. It would be a good idea to install a non-slip material on the treads of painted stairs.
• Remove all objects from stairway.  People can trip over objects left on stairs, particularly in the event of an emergency or fire.
• In the kitchen store flammable, combustible items, away from range and oven.  Are towels, curtains, and other things that might catch fire, located away from the range?

Use this as a check list to spot possible safety hazards which may be present in your house. Keep this as a reminder of safe practices, and use it periodically to re-check your home.