Making homes safer for older people

Home Instead Hammersmith and Chiswick, a dedicated home care provider, is pleased to present a series of informative articles for the Chiswick Calendar. These articles will delve into various aspects of healthy aging, offering valuable insights and practical tips to help seniors and their families navigate the journey of aging. 

We know that 71% of people would rather grow old in their own homes rather than face moving into a care home. Making sure your home is a safe, comfortable and practical place to live is key to you being able to live well at home for longer.

Why does safety become a greater risk with age?

As we age, we can experience a decline in mobility, motor skills and can have difficulty with balance. Our senses can deteriorate (hearing, sight, smell, taste and touch) and we may become forgetful. These changes can impact on our reactions and how we interact with our environment.

Sight: By the time we are 60, our pupils decrease to about a third of the size they were aged 20. Adding to that, there are ageing-related eye conditions such as cataracts and macular degeneration. Simple tasks around the house such as taking a shower or cooking can become more hazardous with poor eyesight. Regular checks with your optician are essential.

Taste: We start out with around 9,000 taste buds. They decrease in both number and mass with age. Changes to our taste buds mean that older people may be unaware they are eatingspoiled food or they could over-salt their food which could have health implications such as high blood pressure. Salty and sweet are usually the first taste buds to go.

Smell:  Our sense of smell can diminish, especially after the age of 70. This is as a result of loss of nerve endings and less mucus in the nose. Risks in the home include not being able to detect things like gas leaks or burning saucepans.

Touch: As we age, our motor skills deteriorate and decreased blood flow to nerve endings can reduce the sense of pain and temperature. Decreased sensitivity poses a risk to older people – particularly in the kitchen for example when cooking with hot food and equipment.

Hearing:  Our ears control our hearing and sense of balance, both of which can be compromised as we age. Hearing problems can reduce your awareness of the environment (for example, not being able to hear an alarm) and affect your balance (for example,
being more likely to fall over). Changes to our senses can lead to a greater risk of accident or injury in and around the home. We recommend that you carry out regular safety checks around the home to make sure it is as safe as possible.

In the Kitchen

The most serious accidents involving older people tend to happen in the kitchen. Worryingly, older people are at the highest risk of fatal injuries from burns and scalds – four to five times greater than the population as a whole. Many are scald
injuries, involving the use of kettles or burns from a cooker.

Here, we offer some simple safety solutions for you or your loved one to consider in each area:

Hot liquids

• Lifting a traditional kettle can be heavy for somebody with less mobility and strength. Consider alternatives such as using a smaller kettle, travel kettle or kettle tipper.
• Boil only sufficient water for immediate needs to prevent carrying a heavy kettle of boiling water.  Encourage use of a cordless kettle.
• Try not to carry hot liquids further than necessary and rearrange the tea/coffee making area in the home if needed. Consider installing a wall mounted hot water boiler which TOP TIP! makes it easier to dispense hot water.

Cooking and food preparation

• Always use rear hot plates and turn the pan handles away from the front of the cooker.
• Don’t leave cooking unattended – this is the primary cause of kitchen fires.
• Be careful to tuck any loose clothing out of the way when cooking and make sure tea towels or any other cloths are kept away from the hob.
• Keep knives and sharp objects properly stored.

Food safety

• Check fridge contents weekly for any expired or spoiled food. Check all expiration dates and throw away all out of date items.
• Store meats and vegetables in sealed containers.
• Use different chopping boards for meat and other food items like vegetables.
• If in doubt – throw it out!

Appliances

• Unplug appliances when they’re not in use and keep them well away from any sink areas.
• Keep a check of your electrics – regular maintenance is recommended.
• A front loading washing machine and dryer is easier to use and reach into.
• Consider installing non-slip, anti-glare flooring.

Cupboards and work areas

• Replace cupboard and drawer handles with D-shaped handles. They are easier to use, particularly if you have limited strength or suffer from arthritis.
• If your cupboards are too high, too low or too deep – adjustable shelving that swings up, swings down or rolls out can be installed.
• Store heavy objects at waist level rather than places which are high to reach.
• Replace glass items with unbreakable ones.
• Make sure there is enough light at the cooker hob, sink and kitchen counters.
• Always wipe up spills quickly!

In the Bathroom

The chance of slipping and falling in the bathroom is higher than other rooms slippery floors, low toilet seats and manoeuvring in and out of the bath can all pose a risk, particularly if you are less mobile or become frail.

Supporting equipment

• Installing grab rails near the shower, bath and toilet can help prevent falls and other accidents and damage to existing household fixtures you may currently be using for support. In general, towel rails, shelves and other bathroom fixtures are not weight
bearing and should not be used for support.
• Make sure the bars are slip-resistant and easy to see eg. A contrasting colour to where they are attached.
• If you have poor grip due to conditions like arthritis, consider fitting an easy turn tap turner.

Showering

• Fit an adjustable shower head. A slide-bar shower head caters for various height adjustments and can be used sitting or standing and is more practical for cleaning.
• Consider installing either a shower seat to allow you to wash from the safety, comfort and convenience of a seated position or a walk in bath or shower for step free easier access.

Bathing

• When running a bath, turn the cold water on first.
• Water into the bath should be no more than 46°C to help prevent scalding.
• Consider installing a bath seat which allows an older person to be lowered into the bath from a seated position and gently raised up again.
• A non-slip bathmat provides extra grip underfoot to help prevent falls.

In the Bedroom

Fifteen per cent of falls are from a chair out of bed. The person may become disorientated or get up too quickly or they may roll over too far off the bed while sleeping.

Furniture

• Check the height of the bed – a bed is too low if your knees are above the hips when sitting on it. Bed raisers under bed legs can raise the height and make it easier to get in and out of every day but ensure you get professional advice before installing.
• Try to keep the room as decluttered as possible so that you can walk around it easily. This also makes it easier for a person with a mobility aid such as a walking stick or frame to move around.
• Loose, unsecured rugs or damaged carpet can create a tripping hazard. Consider  securing rugs to wooden floors to make them safer or if a carpet is torn, glue, tape or carpet staples could fix the problem.

Lighting

• Make sure there is a well-lit path from the bed to the bathroom.
• Put an easy-reach bedside lamp on your bedside table – many lamps light up with a gentle touch tap or sound which may be a good option for an older person.

Moving around

• Don’t get up too quickly! Many falls happen when a person gets out of bed too quickly and experiences dizziness. To avoid this, sit on the side of the bed for a few minutes before standing.
• Be wary of tangled electrical leads which could cause a tripping hazard. Consider using an extension lead with several plugs to organize the room.

In the Living room

Fifteen per cent of falls are caused by a slip or trip on the same level, e.g. falling over a mat or a rug.

Furniture

• Is your furniture steady, comfortable and easy to get in and out of? It might be a good time to update key furniture pieces with more stable, practical items that suit your needs.
• Install lever handle latches on internal doors – they are easier to grasp and handle.
• Don’t let clutter become a hazard and throw away or tidy items which you don’t need or which could pose a risk of tripping over.

Lighting

• There are various additional lighting solutions available such as night lights, rope lighting, battery powered, touch, sound or motion- activated lighting – all of which enhance comfort, convenience and safety in your home.
• Lighted switch plates make it easy to find the light switch in the dark and also serve as a night light.
• Multi-way light switching enables you to turn on lights as you enter the room and turn them off as you leave from another area of the room.

On the stairs

The largest proportion of accidents amongst older people are falls from stairs or steps with over 60 per cent of deaths resulting from accidents on stairs.

Accessibility

• Check any accessibility issues. If there is a stair lift installed, make sure the area is free from clutter, or items that can impact on its safe operation.
• Make sure there are solid hand rails in place to grab for balance as you’re coming up or down stairs.
• Remove rugs and runners or use double-sided tape to secure them to the floor.

Lighting

• Is there adequate light at night? Night lights are perfect solutions for dark hallways. Rope lighting is another good option for hallways that connect the bathroom and bedroom

Fire Safety

• Is there a working smoke alarm in place? Install new smoke detector batteries once a year. Pick a date, such as daylight savings, as a reminder to change the batteries. Try to replace all smoke detector batteries at the same time.
• Carbon monoxide is impossible to identify without a proper detector. Consider installing an alarm in your home to alert you to potential dangers.

Outdoors

Support

• Each entrance to your house should have at least one sturdy rail for support. Install grab rails to support you getting in and out of the home.

Preventing slips and trips

• Grit steps, walkways and paths to prevent slipping over, particularly in icy weather.

Lighting

• Keep outside well lit – install a sensor light outside your home’s entrances – front and back door, outside the garage etc. It will light your path into the house and is a good security measure to have in place.

Fire Prevention

There are a number of measures you can take to protect your home from fire.

• Install a smoke alarm on each floor of your home.
• Make sure you take time to test your smoke alarm regularly (once a month is recommended) and change the battery yearly.
• Specialist smoke alarms are available if you have any hearing or vision problems.
• Plan a safe escape from fire – make sure that corridors, exits and stairs are free from clutter.
• If you have an open fire, use a fireguard and have the chimney swept at least once a year.
• Don’t dry clothes over or near a fire or electric heater.

In the event of a fire:

• Don’t tackle a fire yourself – leave it to the professionals
• Do not attempt to re-enter a room or building that is on fire. Get out, stay out and call 999

Home Instead can help you to live well at home in the place you love for longer

CAREGivers from Home Instead look after more than 9,000 clients UK wide and encourage them to stay well and safe at home.

www.homeinstead.co.uk/hammersmith-chiswick
Tel: 0208 746 1213