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Caregiving and Home Safety 1
Rebecca McGovney and Mary Harrison 2More elderly people are injured in the home than any other place. How do you make your home safe for family members with limited mobility? University of Florida Extension professionals have some suggestions. According to UF professor of Consumer Education Mary Harrison, homes need to be made safe whether the elderly person continues to live independently or moves in with a relative or caregiver. She explains most changes are easy to make and require little, if any, money. Here are some quick and simple examples.
Use stall type showers with non-skid strips on the floor instead of bathtubs, if possible. They are easier to get into and out of. Also, install handrails in the shower stall and near the commode to help balance. Be sure to check the temperature of the hot water heater to avoid accidental burnings with hot water.
Additionally, replace round doorknobs with lever handles for easier opening. Also, replace wall switches with lighted switches with broad, flat switch plates. Finally, since older people are more likely to stumble and fall, eliminate sharp edges and corners of furniture as much as possible.
Homeowners can make most of these changes, but some may require professional help. Check the reputation and license of any home repairman before signing a contract. Check with your county/city government to see if he or she has a local license, and never pay for the work until it is satisfactorily completed.
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Footnotes
1. This document is FAR6002, one of a series of the Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. First published November 2007. In the interest of time or clarity, the broadcast version of this script may have been modified. Please visit the EDIS Web site at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu .2. Rebecca McGovney, master's student, and Mary Harrison, professor, Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611.
The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension service.
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Larry Arrington, Dean.
Copyright Information
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