Doing a safety assessment of your home might seem like something only parents of young children need to be concerned with. That's far from true, however. A growing percentage of our national population cares for their aging parents or relatives. Many seniors who are independent and active prefer to share a residence with family, rather than moving to an assisted living or active senior facility. While such facilities are both attractive options, many seniors and their family members prefer to live together for the simple reason of companionship.

And while your parent or relative might be extremely independent, vital and healthy, your home could contain a few pitfalls of which you aren't even aware. Within every room in your home, there are potential hazards worthy of your investigation and perhaps repair.

Another living situation faced by thousands of families is the sudden debilitation of a family member due to illness or injury. Strokes are a reality faced by thousands of individuals and their families each year. Strokes often result in physical limitations to which the entire family must adapt. Suddenly, home safety becomes an issue for these families. The simplest tasks involve planning and precautions.

The easiest way to take every potential risk in your home into consideration is to create a checklist that covers every room in the house. Certainly, local home-safety consultants can help you in this area, but plenty of resources on the Web can help you create your own checklist and perform an inventory on your own. It's the best favor you can offer your loved one.

Where do you start? How about at the entrance to your home ...

Is the key easy to turn, or do you have to struggle? Is there a peephole or window to view visitors prior to entry? Is the lock secure? Is there a railing present for support? Do you have an alarm system? If so, many alarm systems are rigged on 15-second response times. In other words, the person entering your home has 15 seconds to get to the control panel and decode the alarm. If your family member's mobility is impaired, 15 seconds may not be long enough for him or her to reach the panel. And you certainly don't want your loved one to risk potential injury in an attempt to make it to the panel before the time expires.

Moving into your living areas, is there a clean, uncluttered walkway? Can you get to the doorway easily? Is it possible to sit down on the sofa and chairs easily, or is it a struggle (many chairs are so low or soft that your loved one could lose his or her balance while attempting to sit down or stand up). How easy is it to open and close the windows? Are they rigged to the home alarm system, and if so, is there a control box or panel located nearby? Some windows hooked up to alarm systems have separate control boxes located underneath. Also, are there any stray electrical cords stretching across the room (that's a risk for everyone). How easy is it to turn on lights? The television? Do you have a phone within easy access to the sitting area? Do you have any throw rugs that bunch up and could cause someone to trip over them?

If your home has stairs, ensure that the handrail is secure, that the stairs and stairwell are well-lit, that the carpet (if present) is extremely secure and does not shift, and that the stairs are completely clear of objects.

Moving into the kitchen, do your appliances work well? Can your loved one reach the faucets on the kitchen sink? Reach the microwave, oven door, controls on the stove, as well as the refrigerator and freezer in order to be self-sufficient with meal preparation? Are your dishes, glasses and silverware placed in a spot where they may be reached easily (you may want to consider plastic ones to prevent any mishaps)? Do you have any sharp objects lying about that could cause injury? Are the electric sockets within easy reach so that your loved one may plug in a toaster, etc.? Do you have any flammables lying in potentially dangerous areas (for example, move napkins, paper towels and dish rags far from the stove area)? Do you have a throw rug on the floor which could shift and cause a loss of balance? Is it easy for your loved one to carry food from the counter to the table, and do the chairs push away from the table easily?

Heading to the bedroom, how easy is it to get in and out of bed? (High beds aren't easy for anyone, let alone those with physical limitations.) Do you have a phone placed by the bedside for use in the event of an emergency? Where is the bathroom in relation to the bed, and is there a clear path to the doorway of the bathroom, as well as the doorway leaving the bedroom? Can your loved one reach his or her personal items in the bathroom? Do you need to install bars and/or a shower seat? How close is the light switch or lamp to the bed? How about the television? Where is the dresser located, and can your loved one reach his or her dresser drawers easily?

In all bathrooms, you'll want to ensure that your loved one can move in and out of the tub easily and without risk. Install no-skid strips or a rubber bath mat on the tub floor and another one beside the tub. Depending upon your loved one's mobility, you may want to avoid giving him or her access to a shower with a glass door. Can he or she reach the electrical outlets in the bathroom? The faucets in both the tub and sinks?

In addition, make sure that you have multiple smoke detectors, and that you replace their batteries on a regular schedule. You may want to consider purchasing a carbon monoxide detector, as well. Check your electrical cords (for frays and/or exposed wires) and outlets, and make sure all light bulbs are in good working order. Remove throw rugs if necessary; they're an accident waiting to happen. Check all appliances to make sure they're working. List emergency phone numbers alongside every phone in the house. If your loved one leaves the house to run errands or check the mailbox, make sure that the paths leading outdoors are clear. If you do have a security system, is there a panic button that your loved one can use in the event of an emergency? You also may want to consider giving your loved one a mobile phone for extra protection. And if he or she is taking any medication, make sure you place them in a consistent spot so that there's no risk of a mix-up with other medications. Write dosages down on a sheet of paper, and post them near the bottles. If there's ever an emergency, and you need to head to the hospital, bring the bottles with you. One of the first questions you'll be asked is which medications your loved one takes, in order to avoid potentially harmful drug interactions.

These precautions might sound laborious, but they're not. The truth is that many of them benefit everyone in the family -- not just an aging parent or a loved one with impaired mobility. These safety measures simply make good sense. The percentage of seniors in our national population is reaching an all-time high, which is perhaps a testament to how well we're taking care of ourselves. Do your part to make sure you're together for many more years, and take a safety inventory of your home. These measures will go a long way toward ensuring everyone's safety and demonstrating that you care about your family's well-being.

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Published: June 10, 1999

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