Home Safety Tips for Older Adults

As we age, all of the small tasks required to stay in our home can start to add up!  Even after retirement, mowing the lawn, paying the bills, and taking care of the many routine maintenance tasks and repairs can seem like a full-time job.

Like with so many other things in our lives, we must work smarter instead of harder as we get older, relying on our organization skills and ability to plan instead of counting on muscle power to get the job done.

It’s also important to know when to ask for help to avoid an injury that could ultimately cost us the independence we treasure so much. It’s necessary to prioritize our tasks, not take on more than we can manage at one time and to find someone to help us with the big things that put our health and safety at risk.

While doing things on our own gives us a sense of pride and accomplishment, it’s important to realize we all have limitations. Always ask yourself before you start a new project if it’s safe for you to undertake or if you’d be better off hiring someone to do it while you focus on something else.

Home Safety for Older Adults — Top Home Maintenance Priorities

• Safety First: The most important thing you can do to keep your home safe is one of the easiest – keep the clutter picked up. The number one cause of senior hospitalization is injuries from broken bones or head trauma caused by home falls. Being certain your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are in proper working condition with fresh batteries is a must. If you feel unstable on a ladder, ask someone to help you test your alarms. Local fire departments often offer detector checks and will gladly come to help you free of charge if you ask. If you check your detectors yourself, use a broomstick to press the test button instead of climbing a ladder, keeping your feet safely on the floor.
• Take care of the basics: Little problems can become big and expensive ones if you ignore them. So, it’s important to take care of leaks, creaks, and cracks as soon as possible. Want to make sure you can trust the contractor you hire to perform these tasks? The St. Louis Area Agency on Aging offers a Senior Minor Home Repair and Chore Program that helps local residents tackle smaller household issues including basic plumbing, electrical, air conditioning and heating issues for people 60 years old or above. Its volunteers can also help with safety modifications to your home like the installation of grab bars, handrails, and ramps.
• Don’t be left vulnerable: It’s a great idea to check your doors and windows periodically to ensure the locks are in good repair and that they’re secure. Also, if you have a home security system, check that the sensors have fresh batteries, that the settings are appropriate and that it’s programmed to call the police department, fire department or an ambulance when you can’t.

Make Tasks Manageable

To make the most of your time, it’s important to stay on top of the details. A terrific way to do that is to create a chore calendar dedicating a certain time each week to do things like picking up clutter, watering the plants and taking care of the laundry. Keeping things organized throughout the week helps to keep small tasks from becoming overwhelming later.

Spreading out your activities on a calendar also helps seniors stay healthy and active by giving them a reasonable amount of daily exercise. Keeping active is good for maintaining flexibility, muscle tone and cardiovascular fitness.

For tasks you don’t feel comfortable tackling yourself, hire a service to take care of the tougher jobs, including yard work and deep cleaning. Check with trusted neighbors or consult your local senior center for a list of trustworthy contractors. While it’s appealing to find the best deal, it’s worth the money to find highly recommended service workers who have plenty of experience, proper equipment, and insurance to do work for you. Building relationships with dependable contractors who value home safety for older adults will help in the long run because you’ll be less likely to have to look for a replacement every season and more likely to get an honest bill from someone who values your business and wants to keep it.

Plan Ahead

Planning ahead for household tasks will allow seniors to live safely in their residence for years to come, enjoying their time instead of worrying about who is going to fix the leaky faucet, when they’ll find time to mow the lawn, and what to tackle first when it comes to cleaning up around the house. Life shouldn’t feel like never ending work, especially for seniors who have earned their retirement!

Get more tips on home safety for older adults on our Senior Home Safety blog!