The Hidden Dangers: Home Safety Hazards Seniors Often Overlook

Senior falls are a common cause of accidental injury in the United Kingdom. ROSPA reports that hospital visits related to injury due to accidents of people aged 65 and over make up around 80% of hospital admissions in the country. They also note that older adults based in housing associations homes in the UK suffer an estimated 212,000 falls each year, though the actual figure could be much more.

What is clear is that injuries caused by falls are incredibly common for older adults in the UK. Hazards in the home are an often overlooked issue that can cause senior falls, but there is plenty that can be done to help prevent this.

In this article, we’ll be looking at some common home safety hazards that aren’t always the most noticeable, as well as solutions to help prevent falls for the elderly people in your life.

Frequently overlooked home safety hazards for seniors

Let’s first take a look at some of the most common hazards in senior residences that are often overlooked and can lead to falls. These include:

• Uneven stairs in the house or uneven steps into the house.

• Uneven or worn floors.

• Clutter, especially in walkways.

• Poor lighting throughout the home.

• Slippery tiles or floors.

• No handrails in places with trip or slip hazards, e.g. bathroom.

• High shelving units that are hard to reach.

• Loose rugs.

• Inappropriately placed furniture.

Room-by-room safety assessment guide

A room-by-room safety assessment is an effective way to ensure that the aforementioned hidden hazards are identified and managed appropriately. Let’s take a look at an example assessment guide that can be helpful for seniors living independently and those looking to aid a senior relative or friend.

Entryways

Common hazards:

• Clutter.

• Low and/or poor lighting.

• Loose rugs.

• Uneven steps and flooring.

Solutions:

• Ensure that clutter has been moved out of the way and stored somewhere safely.

• Install lighting that is bright, but offers soft diffusion and minimal glare.

• Measure floor levels and deal with any structural problems that are identified.

• If rugs are loose, either remove them entirely or keep them secure with options such as non-slip backing.

Living Room

Common hazards:

• Clutter.

• Stray electrical cords.

• Low edges on furniture.

• Low and/or poor lighting.

• Loose rugs.

Solutions:

• Ensure that clutter has been moved out of the way and stored somewhere safely.

• Corner guards can be used on sharp furniture edges to avoid injury.

• Reroute cords where possible. Some options include rerouting cords to under base floor boards or behind furniture.

• Install lighting that is bright, but offers soft diffusion and minimal glare.

• If rugs are loose, either remove them entirely or keep them secure with options such as non-slip backing.

Bathroom

Common hazards:

• Wet floor causing slippery tiles.

• Falls due to a lack of grab bars.

• Low and/or poor lighting.

• The bathroom door is locked.

Solutions:

• Bathroom modifications to prevent falls, such as slip mats and the installation of grab bars.

• Install lighting that is bright but with soft diffusion and minimal glare.

• Either remove door locks altogether. Or, if locks are an important privacy feature, consider replacing standard locks with Privacy Snib locks. These can be opened from the outside in the case of an emergency.

Kitchen

Common hazards:

• Slippery floors caused by food and drink-related spills.

• Sharp utensils.

• Hot surfaces.

• Appliances that have not been maintained properly.

• Low and/or poor lighting.

Solutions:

• Non-slip mats for floors to avoid slips and falls.

• Proper inserts for knives used within utensil drawers

• A safe and secure cooking setup along with heat protection, such as oven gloves.

• Keep up to date with the necessary maintenance procedures for various appliances, such as ensuring that damaged or loose hob controls are replaced.

• Install lighting that is bright, but offers soft diffusion and minimal glare.

Bedroom

Common hazards:

• A lack of night-time visibility.

• General bedroom clutter.

• Inappropriate bed heights.

Solutions:

• Night lights to prevent night-time falls.

• Keeping clutter to a minimum. If it is hard to find storage, keep clutter away from the bed and walkways to avoid falls (especially at night).

• Adjust your bed height as much as possible. If this isn’t practical, consider getting a new bed frame that suits your needs.

Smart home technology for safety monitoring

While these solutions can be helpful for tackling some of the common hazards in senior homes that are often overlooked, a safety net is always the best way for the elderly and their family and friends to have peace of mind.

That's where personal alarms come in. Personal alarms have evolved over the years, becoming sophisticated yet easy to use devices that can save lives. SureSafe is a great choice when it comes to a personal alarm for the elderly that allows users to obtain assistance quickly and efficiently should the worst happen.

SureSafe offers alarms with the following handy features that are particularly well suited for older people living alone:

• Automatic fall detection.

• Two-way communication.

• GPS tracking incident location.

• 24/7 response centre monitoring.

• Family monitoring.

• Fully mobile ‘anywhere’ alarm.

There are a range of different alarms for seniors on offer. Some include more of these features, while others have only a few, which can be helpful for those who only need a certain level of support when living alone. No matter how much help a senior might need, they are sure to find the personal alarm that suits them best with SureSafe.

Learn more about SureSafe personal alarms for seniors

Seniors living alone are a vulnerable demographic when it comes to injuries at homes, usually caused by falls. While our room-by-room safety assessment guide can be a useful tool to start building a safe and secure home for seniors, a personal alarm offers an additional layer of security to keep everyone’s mind at ease.

SureSafe devices provide simple-to-use and affordable protection for seniors, offering a range of features, such as the ones listed above. For more information, give us a call on 0808 303 4541, get in touch on our live chat, or request a callback on our online form. Make sure to have a read of our Trustpilot reviews as well to see what our customers have to say about our services and our top tier products.