Home may be where the heart is, but unfortunately home is the place where most accidents occur. The National Safety Council estimates that well over 20,000 accidental deaths occur each year in the home in addition to over three
million disabling injuries.
The threat of home accidents becomes even greater when our mobility, strength, and vision or perception decline. That's why we need to be aware of possible unsafe situations and correct
them as quickly as possible.
The purpose of this booklet is to not only help make your home a safer place in which to live, but one that is more accessible based on your
level of mobility.
In this booklet, we have chosen those areas and situations within the home where most accidents occur. Study each page
thoroughly and relate the information provided with similar situations you may encounter in your home.
Use this booklet as a checklist to uncover and correct unsafe situations.
And remember, your home healthcare representative will be happy to provide recommendations as to how your home can be made more safe,
more accessible.
Safety in the Bathroom
The bathroom tends to be the more dangerous room in a house. Wet surfaces combined with hard surfaces increase the danger of a disabling fall.
By making a few simple modifications, the safety, as well as the accessibility of your bathroom, can be greatly improved.
The Floor
Cover the floor with carpet or with non-slip rugs to prevent falls due to wet, slippery floor surfaces. Do not leave towels, wash cloths or clothing on the floor.
The Tub or Shower
Install abrasive, non-slip strips or mats on the bottom of the tub. Have grab bars installed on the walls. If weak or handicapped, use a bath or shower chair and install a flex hose with shower nozzle for greater safety and convenience. Do not hesitate to ask for bathing assistance;
compromising modesty is far preferable to risking a serious injury.
The Toilet
If necessary, install an elevated toilet seat and support frame. This enables weak or arthritic patients to transfer with greater ease to and from the toilet. Drop-arm commodes are also available for wheelchair or nonambulatory patients.
Medicine Cabinet
Keep all poisons out of your medicine cabinet! Never guess. Always read medicine labels under adequate lighting before taking that medication. Do not keep old medication. Dispose of it safely.
Safety in the Bedroom
Creating a Cheerful Atmosphere
When patients must be confined for a good part of their day to the bedroom, creating a cheerful, as well as a safe environment is most important.
Choose lighter colors for walls. A generous use of flowers and plants helps carry a little of the outside inside.
Keep shades and drapes open to permit as much sunlight as possible into the room. And position favorite pictures and family photographs near enough to be easily visible.
Access to Needed Objects
Position items such as the telephone, light switches, reading materials, and snacks and beverages within easy reach. If required, always keep a bell or other alarm device not only
near the bed, but tied by a string so it cannot be inadvertently dropped.
Walking Hazards
Remove any potential hazards, such as throw rugs, loose carpet, electrical cords, extended tables or chairs, scattered towels or clothing, anything that may cause the patient to slip or lose
balance when walking to and from the bathroom or other rooms in the house.
Smoking
NEVER smoke in bed, and NEVER smoke in the presence of oxygen delivery equipment.
Lighting
Bedroom falls are usually caused by inadequate lighting. Install night lights in the bedroom area to
prevent accidental falls.
For Weak, Restricted or Bedridden Patients:
Hospital-Type Bed
Use an adjustable hospital type bed (either manually or electrically operated) to allow bedridden patients to change position for
comfort or for entertainment, exercise, or to eat. Overbed tables provide a reading, writing or eating surface while trapeze bars
enable the patient to change position, exercise, or assist the patient in moving in or out of bed. Use of side rails protects the
patient from possible falls.
Commodes
A variety of bedside commodes are available to assist the patient who is unable to use the bathroom facilities.
Patient Lifts
Lifts provide an easier, safer way to transfer the patient from the bed to a wheelchair or commode. The individual operating the lift should
be thoroughly trained.
Bed Pressure Prevention
Bedridden patients are very susceptible to sores created by constant bed pressure. Special flotation mattresses or alternating pressure pads improve comfort and prevent pressure sores (decubitis ulcers)
from forming.
Safety in the Kitchen
Whether you prepare all, or just some of your meals, simple modifications can be made to your kitchen area that will make it safer and more accessible.
Locating Common Use Items
Those kitchen utensils used most frequently should be stored in locations that require minimal reach. Standing on stools or chairs is dangerous for strong,
healthy people. It can be disastrous for those weakened by age or illness. Also, bending over to enter lower cabinets, can create dizziness that may result
in an accidental fall.
Use of shelving, pegboards for utensils, and items such as lazy susans, all within easy reach, permit you to perform you kitchen chores with minimal movement.
And by removing shelves and doors from under the sink area, you can work at and around the sink using a castered, height-adjustable chair.
Safety Hints
Keep a fire extinguisher mounted near the stove.
Wipe up grease, water, or its of food immediately, if spilled. Use a "foot mop", a thick pad of terry cloth or other absorbent material that includes a foot pocket. Now you can easily mop up a spill without bending over or getting onto your hands and knees.
Always use padded mittens on hot pans to prevent burns. Use two hands to lift pans that are heavy or bulky.
Stairway Safety
Indoor Steps
The most serious fall-related accidents in the home occur on stairways. And as with many safety factors, the potential for injury increases significantly when the
patient is weak or partially incapacitated. The following outlines ways to make stairways safer for you.
Provide a strong, secure handrail for stairways of three or more steps.
Cover each step with a non-slip surface (abrasive strips or carpeting), securely fastened.
Do not use small or loose rugs at the head or foot of a stairway.
Keep stairways free of boxes, brooms, tools, etc. to prevent tripping.
Have adequate lighting on the stairway, controllable from both ends.
NOTE: Should stairways become an insurmountable problem, an electric stair lift can be installed to move you safely
and comfortably up and down indoor stairs.
Outdoor Steps
Use handrails, non-slip surfaces, and adequate lighting for outdoor steps. Remember to keep outdoor steps and sidewalks
free of snow and ice (if encountered in your locale).
Ramps
Construction
Ramps provide easier, safer access or even independent mobility to patients who depend on ambulatory devices, such as walkers, wheelchairs, and
motorized scooters. Ramps are available, ready-made, in many areas, or can be constructed using wood, metal, or even concrete.
For safe use, without assistance, the incline of a ramp must be limited. For each one foot rise in elevation the length of the ramp should be
approximately 10 to 11 feet.
Ramps should include handrails or side guards for both assistance and safety.
Electrical Hazards
Precautions
Keep all electrical devices at least an arm's length from sinks, tubs or showers, the stove, or other grounded objects.
Do not touch medical or any electrical devices with wet hands or when standing on a wet floor.
Replace any electrical wire that is worn or frayed.
Do not use extension cords if at all possible. When you do, use only UA approved extension cords making certain they have adequate wire size for the load they carry.
Keep all cords out from under rugs, doors, and moveable furniture.
© HealthCom Services, Denver, Colorado.
