Despite nearly 90 percent of seniors wishing to age in place peacefully, many are unaware of the dangers that threaten their ability to do so. This doesn’t mean burglars or thugs but instead safety hazards such as mobility limitations, vision, or hearing impairments – even an unintentional fire is on the cards. Accidents can happen at any time and sadly old age only compounds the chance of some misfortune taking place. Family members usually intend to respect the relative’s right to independence, but doing so causes them to toss and turn in bed thinking about all the potential hazards threatening the senior’s safety. In order to provide peace of mind for everyone, you need to understand the possible dangers before implementing a fitting solution.
Flaming frying pans in the kitchen, CO leaking in the garage, a power outage, or floods in the basement: these kinds of threats aren’t exclusive to houses occupied by senior residents but they’re significant concerns all the same. However, installing detection devices and mounting a fire extinguisher on the wall won’t solve the problem by itself. Aging citizens often have slower reflexes and are very fragile. Decreased reaction times limit their ability to swiftly tackle a fire with an extinguisher while weaker strength means they can’t sufficiently open a series of windows to prevent CO poisoning.
It’s also likely that they trip and fall in a haze of panic. If a senior suffers from absent mindedness, then letting them handle dangerous electronics during an outage is ill-advised. Not to mention that it’s this forgetfulness that plays a big role in leaving the car engine running or failing to turn the oven off. Those that live with a hearing or vision impairment have it toughest, though, since it is extremely difficult to call for help in a quick and effective manner, on top of the fact that these conditions increase the chance of falling or causing an accident.
Breaking or burning items is just one part of the issue as even the most innocuous stuff might cause an accident. Fall-related injuries are the greatest contributors to senior hospitalization, as hitting the ground at an older age can more easily result in severely broken bones or a fractured hip. And accidents happen when you least expect them, with the elderly residents hurting themselves while tripping on small household pets or losing their balance while dusting a cluttered room.
Even though most falls happen in the living room, the bathroom is the most dangerous area because the narrow space increases the chance of hitting something solid, not to mention how the floor is rarely covered with carpet or soft rugs. Placing a non-skid mat is just the beginning as a safe bathroom also needs grab bars fastened by the toilet and the tub or even a foldable shower bench.
Time is of the essence during an emergency. If a fire bursts out or their spouse is injured, seniors need to get help extra fast. There are numerous solutions promising remedies for home hazards but a medical alarm system is one of the most universal forms of protection. First of all, the monitoring team is just one button press away and, contrary to popular belief, staff members will provide assistance in non-health related issues too, since monitoring agents are trained to be kind and supportive in all situations.
During a fire or other such emergency, these agents can instruct the elderly on what to do and even stay on the line while the firefighters or first responders arrive, which will certainly help to calm the nerves of the senior. Medical alarm companies also offer a wide array of environmental alarms, covering every situation from fire, CO leaking, flooding, and more. Last but not least, personal emergency systems feature help pendants with fall detection technology that autonomously sends an emergency signal when the wearer collapses.
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