Top tips to keep elderly safe at home: Part 2

Here are our top tips to keep the elderly safe at home

Safety for elderly in the bedroom (watch our video on fall prevention)

1. Does your ageing parent have sheets and bed covers trailing on the floor? If so, try to tuck them out of the way, so they do not trip your parent up when they are walking around
2. Do they have a bedside lamp or torch? This can help if you need to get up in the night, or if there is a power failure and is much safer than candles
3. Do they have an electric blanket? Your elderly relative should get their electric blanket tested by an expert at least every three years, and replace it every ten years. Check for danger signs, such as frayed fabric and scorchmarks. Check whether your parent has the type of blanket that can be left on overnight and if not, remind them to unplug it when they go to bed. They should never switch it on if it’s damp or wet and never use it with a hot-water bottle

 Safety for elderly in the kitchen (Watch our video on safety tips in the kitchen)

1. Is there clear counter space around or near the cooker? This will allow your elderly relative to put hot pots and pans down safely
2. Are the things you use every day within easy reach? Rearrange your parent’s shelves and cupboards, so that the things they use most often can be reached easily, or encourage them to use long-handled ‘grabbers’ to avoid stretching
3. Are pan handles turned away from the front of the cooker? Your parent should face pan handles towards the sides of their cooker to stop them being knocked over and to keep handles away from the other heat rings
4. Does your parent  use a timer to remind themselves when food is ready? If they always set a timer, they won’t forget about the food they are cooking. Some microwaves have timers that can be usedindependently of the oven. They should never leave hot oil unattended, as it is a fire risk
5. Is there a risk that your parent could slip on wet flooring? Encourage them to clean up any spills straight away. Non-slip matting can help reduce the risk of slipping
6. Are flammable items kept away from the hob? Make sure that tea towels, kitchen roll, oven gloves andpaper bags are kept away from the cooker
7. Do they keep their kitchen equipment as clean as possible?A build-up of crumbs or grease can be a fire hazard
8. Does your parent know what to do if a pan catches fire? They should never move the pan, or throw water on it. they should turn off the heat, if it is safe to do so. They should not try to put the fire out themselves using a wet tea towel, they may burn themselves, but instead should leave the kitchen, close the door and shout to everyone else in the house to leave, then call 999
9. If your parent have a gas boiler with a pilot light, do they regularly check that the pilot light is burning? If it has gone out, there should be instructions on the boiler on how to relight it. If they cannot relight it and you can’t help, call a heating engineer out, but sure your engineer is Gas Safe-registered

 Safety for elderly on the stairs (watch our video on fall prevention)

1. Are your parent’s stairs free from clutter? Avoid storing things on the stairs, even temporarily
2. Do they have solid handrails, preferably on both sides? Your parent should have handrails on all staircases, even on small flights of stairs to aid stability and prevent falls
3. Does your parent have a two-way light switch? This means a light switch at the top and bottom of the stairs. Your parent should contact an electrician to fit one if they don’t as it will stop them walking up or down without proper lighting
4. Can you easily see the edges of each step? Marking the edge of each step with paint or non-slip masking tape will make them more visible. Make sure that the tape is secure, however, so it does not become a trip hazard
5. Does your parent have plug-in night lights? These turn on automatically at night time and provide a lowlight that can help your parent see their way to the bathroom, or on the stairs if they get up at night
6. Do they have emergency power-failure lights? These lights plug in to power sockets and remain lit if there is a power failure. This means that if the mains power fails after dark, your parent will still be able to find their way around. They should keep a torch on hand to use during a power failure, too

Safety for elderly in the bathroom

1. Invest in hand rails and bath/ shower seats to help your parent keep their balance when using their bathroom
2. Make sure the bathroom is well-lit, so they can see where they are going
3. Use non-slip stickers in the bath or shower and a secure bath mat, which will not slide outside
4. A bath step can be a great help if your parent finds it difficult getting in and out of the bath safely
5. The medicine cabinet can be an area of danger as your parent can get confused about which pills are which or take out-of-date medication
6. It’s important to make sure all medicine labels are secure and clear to read – you can always attach another larger label in clearer writing, as the pharmacy ones tend to be quite small
7. Try and clear out the medicine cabinet regularly and dispose of unwanted or out of date medicines
8. Of course also make sure your parent’s medicines are locked away and stored out of reach of children and pets
9. Storing medicines in daily dose pill boxes which you can refill can be very helpful and safe. You can even get ones which open automatically daily and ones with alarms to remind your parent to take their pills.

 Watch our video on bathroom safety