Home Safety Topics for the Elderly & Disabled

Home safety topics for both the elderly and the disabled are very important. According to the CDC, "Each year, one in every three adults age 65 and older falls," leading to injuries that can be moderate or severe. Everything from floor coverings to the height of furniture in a home need to be explored to make a home safe for the elderly or disabled.

Steps and Stairs

• Those with limitations, at whatever age, find stairs at best a nuisance, at worst, a nightmare. You can make steps and stairs safer by either tightening or installing solid rails about hip height. These rails should fit a hand grasp. A rail with a circumference that is too large is too difficult to hold onto, while a thin, dowel-rod rail is both difficult to grasp and not sturdy enough to hold someone's weight. Stairs outside the home can often be used as the foundation for a portable or permanent ramp to the front porch or door. Stairways should always be well lit.

Doors and Room Size

• Doors are another topic of home safety concern for the elderly and disabled. Door width is a vital issue for those with disabilities; doorways may need to be widened, with wider doors installed for safety. Make sure front doors are wide enough for an elderly or disabled person to navigate. Many downstairs bathrooms of homes are particularly tiny, not allowing those in wheelchairs or individuals with stiff or shaky legs to even get through the door.

Bathrooms

• Many bathrooms have safety issues that you can address. If the faucet is difficult turn on, install one that is easy to use with one hand, such as the type that is pulled on and pushed off. If pictures on the walls or figurines might get knocked off or broken by someone trying to maneuver in the bathroom, put them away. If shelves stick out, take them out of the bathroom. Safety bars can be installed near or even around the toilet. Non-skid surfaces are a must for any bathroom floor.

Bathing

• Tubs can be especially difficult for the elderly or disabled to get in an out of without assistance. A shower poses problems if it isn't a roll-in shower, or if the shower handles are hard to reach or turn from a sitting position. Lower the water temperature on the home's water heater so the water flow doesn't burn. Replace double shower handles with the single-lever variety, and add a non-skid mat or strips for use in showers and tubs. Safely bars can also be installed on the tub and shower.

Door Knobs and Handles

• For those with arthritis or other limitations, regular knobs can be difficult, even painful, to turn or open. Replace door knobs with handles that need only to be pushed up or down, rather than turned, to open the door. These can be installed both in doors to enter the home and in doors inside the home.

Floor

• Floors are a safety issue for both elderly and the disabled. Floors without carpet can be slippery, especially when they are wet. When you wash a floor, make sure to dry it completely before allowing a person with limitations to walk on it. Uneven or sloped floors pose a safety hazard for those without good balance. To make rooms safer, eliminate throw rugs. Make sure all carpet edges are secured, that the carpet pile isn't too high or deep, and that it doesn't have ripples that might cause someone to trip and fall.