Home Safety Tips for Aging Parents

by

This blog post is all about safety for seniors. Inside the home, outside the home, and in day to day life- we have you covered. Many may think that their home is totally safe; however, extra precautions never hurt anyone. Additionally, a lot of older adults live alone and become targets for crimes such as burglary.

What safety tips should older adults consider? Let’s get into it.

Indoor Safety Tips:

Fire Safety:

It’s important to make sure that there are working fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, and carbon monoxide detectors. They should be checked on and serviced 2-3 times a year. This means- battery replacement. 

Many of us do it but, a dryer should not be left running when no one is home or when everyone is asleep. Also, never leave candles burning in a room that no one is occupying. 

Trips and Falls:

  • Remove clutter from all walkways, steps, and occupied rooms. 
  • Making sure that there is proper lighting so that older adults can see a little easier. 
  • Check for uneven steps, loose floorboards, and loose/ripped carpet.
  • Tightened handrails are important for balance and support.
  • Covering furniture corners are important because they can cause trips and falls as well. 

Internet Privacy and Scams:

  • It’s not safe to open emails that ask for personal and/ or identifying information.
  • Do not trust any messages asking for help in transferring money.
  • If you get an email saying that you won the lottery- ignore it- this isn’t the way that we find out. 
  • Keep your wireless network password protected and don’t use unsecured Wi-Fi networks.

 

Outdoor Safety Tips

Injury and Crime:

Winter season brings snow and ice and that means that ice and sand safety are needed to avoid falls that can lead to severe injury.

It’s a bad idea to leave spare keys under any mat or anywhere outside your home.

Car Safety:

  • Make sure that the vehicle is locked at all times. 
  • If clear vision is an issue, it’s safe to avoid driving at night.
  • Do not keep your personal information such as name or address on your key chain.
  • Make sure your vehicle is being serviced regularly so that any potential issues can be caught early on. 

Additional Safety Tips

Safety- Safety- Food

  • Avoid foods that are unsafe for older adults like: raw foods, unpasteurized products, and/ or uncooked foods.
  • Cook all your meals to avoid potential food poisoning.
  • Keep all perishable food items refrigerated to avoid food spoilage.
  • Those on special diets should always follow the doctor’s orders and avoid any foods that you are not allowed to eat.

 

About Ryan Ruffcorn

Ryan grew up in Keokuk, graduated from Keokuk Senior High, and started his agency in Keokuk from scratch in 2003 after having worked for one of the largest international accounting firms, KPMG, LLP.

Ryan is hardworking; his loyal and trustworthy character is exemplified by the way he does business. He thoroughly enjoys helping clients through the insurance buying process to secure coverage for their most valuable assets.

Previous Post:

Next Post: