19 March 2018

Safety at home for older people

Keeping your parent safe at home is obviously of paramount importance.

Home should be where they are safest, but as people age, so their risk of accident increases. We have listed some of key danger areas and looked at what you can do to ensure safety in the home for the older person. Watch our video about elderly safety at home

Safety First: Install an Emergency Alarms for the Elderly

Personal alarms can be very useful as they often enable the person you’re looking after to remain at home rather than go into a residential care home

Many social services departments view alarms as daily living equipment and provide them free of charge following assessment by an occupational therapist, or for a small weekly fee.

If you are going to buy an alarm yourself, you need to consider which of the many options you want to choose. Some alarms will alert a carer or neighbour. These include:

Portable alarms. These are battery-powered, or use pressurised gas and can be bought from high street shops, through mail order or online. They are worn by the person you’re looking after and make a high-pitched sound when triggered, which can be heard from a limited distance.
Fixed position alarms. These have a fixed transmitter and receiver and are operated by a pull cord or similar trigger which sends a high-pitched sound to alert anyone within a limited distance. Some systems can be designed to release door locks automatically if activated, to allow a neighbour to enter the home when the alarm is triggered.
Portable alarms with a fixed-position receiver. These are worn around the neck or wrist, and the alarm can be triggered by the person wearing them. An alarm is sounded from a receiver mounted on a wall, or other fixed position to alert someone within earshot.
Portable transmitters and portable receivers. Both you and the person you are looking after wear the device around your neck or wrist. This makes it easier for you to be aware of when the alarm is triggered. It is suitable for a limited range such as when either of you is in the house or the garden.

You may want an alarm that can monitor the person you are looking after if you’re in another room of the house. There are several, including:

One-way intercom. This is a portable system similar to a baby monitor that allows sounds or speech to be transmitted one-way only.
Fall alarms. This is a portable device that is activated when the person wearing it falls to a 20 degree or more angle and lies without moving for eight seconds. A signal is sent to a portable pager or an autodial alarm telephone is activated.
Movement monitors. These are mainly used at night and can alert you to epileptic seizures by detecting movement, or monitoring vital signs. An alarm is triggered if the sensors notice something is wrong.
Wandering alarms. Used largely to alert you when a person strays, this alarm is activated by pressure sensors located in a bedside mat or doorway or when someone gets out of bed. Some alarms are worn and trigger a warning alarm if the person goes through a door fitted with an antenna.
A hypothermia alarm. This is used to monitor the ambient temperature. The alarm is triggered if the temperature falls below a designated level.

Other alarms include:

autodialler systems, which send voice or text messages without needing a phone,
two-way intercom systems,
gas detectors
carbon monoxide detectors
smoke/fire detectors.

If you can, it’s a good idea to see a demonstration of the alarms available before you make a decision.

Security via a keyless door entry system

A keyless entry system helps people who have difficulty using keys to open their front door
They are especially suitable for those who have to let in carers, or would benefit from instant home access in case of emergencies
They work via a remote control fits comfortably in the palm of the hand for those with arthritis

Preventing the Elderly from Falling: Watch our falls prevention video

Falling is the most common type of at home accident for the elderly.

However, with certain precautions, most accidental falls can be prevented

Fitting a letterbox cage to avoid bending to pick up post
Ensuing good lighting so that your parent can see where they are going easily
Buying long life bulbs means they last longer and do not need to be changed frequently
Highlight outer edges of steps with non-slip white paint or Duct tape to make them more visible
Tidy up trailing wires and clutter in walking areas and on stairs
Use non-slip mats under rugs, in the kitchen, inside and next to the bath and on stair landings
Discard poorly fitting shoes or slippers and do not wear high heels. Avoid trailing clothes.
Use non-slip rubber mats in the bath or shower. Have handles fitted to assist entry and exit.
Installing handrails by the toilet, bath and stairs to aid balance and help your parent to get around
Remove or repair frayed carpet
Store frequently used, everyday items in accessible places to minimise bending and stretching
Get a set of non-slip steps, so that your parent is not tempted to stand on a chair
Remove casters from moveable furniture, which makes them more stable, so they can be leant against, or held onto to aid balance;
Spreading salt or sand on wet or icy steps will make them less slippery
Encourage your parent to keep active, as exercise helps with strength, balance and co-ordination

What should you do if your parent falls?

Call an ambulance
Do not move them yourself
Keep them warm

Accidents caused by fire

The elderly are more at risk from fire due to a poor sense of smell, restricted or slow mobility and less resilience to the effects of smoke and burns. You can help by:

Fitting smoke alarms, one on each floor, preferably mains operated or one with a ten-year battery and test them regularly.
Encouraging your parent to ensure that all cigarette ends are safely extinguished and never smoke in bed.
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions when using electric blankets and have them checked regularly.
Accidental Poisoning: The main cause of accidental poisoning of people over 65 involves carbon monoxide, mains gas and medicine overdose.
Ensure that all fuel burning boilers, fires and stoves are checked annually by a qualified person.
Have chimneys and flues swept at least once every year.
Exceeding prescribed drug doses is dangerous, so try to always read and carefully adhere to the instructions on the label and use pill boxes and counters to help your parent administer these
Contact burns to those over 65 can prove to be fatal. The main sources include radiators, electric fires and cookers. Scalding involving the use of kettles causes many injuries.
- Try to use radiator covers and be careful when purchasing electric fires and halogen hobs.
- Buy a cordless kettle or one with a coiled flex or a small electric urn for instant hot water
- Do not boil full kettles, as they are difficult to lift and pour safely
- Use a fireguard and ensure nightwear is fire resistant
- Fit thermostatically controlled bath taps
- Always run the cold water first when having a bath or shower

Staying warm at home

Encourage your parent to wear several thin layers of clothes rather than one thick layer. Bodily warmth gets trapped between the layers
Clothes made with wool, cotton or fleece synthetic fibres are both light and warm
In very cold weather, bed socks and thermal underwear are useful
Electric blankets can help warmth but must be well maintained

Staying warm outside

Encourage your parent to wear several layers and to wear a hat
Wearing warm, dry, flat, non-slip shoes or boots, especially in cold weather, will help prevent slipping and falling
Ice grippers to go over boots or shoes are very effective

Keeping the home warm

Fit draught proofing to help seal gaps around windows and doors
Lay insulation in the loft to reduce heat loss
Ensure that the hot water cylinder and pipes, including pipes in the loft, are lagged
Try to keep a temperature of 21oC (70oF) in all the rooms used during the day.
Keep the bedroom window closed at night
In very cold weather, set the central heating to come on earlier rather than turning the thermostat up higher

Watch our video on keeping the elderly safe at home

Watch our video on safety tips for the elderly in the kitchen

Useful Contact numbers

Winter Warmth Advice Line: 0800 0857000;

Winter Fuel Payments Helpline: 08459 151515;

Home Improvement Agency: 01732 525525