Important Safety Tips for Senior Citizen Family Members

American is getting older.

According to the U.S. Administration on Aging, there will be more than 72 million older persons by 2030. That’s more than double the number in 2000. That means the risk of injuries will likely go up.

To help keep senior citizens in your family safe, follow these tips below.

Perform a home safety inspection 

Visit your loved one’s home to make sure their home is safe. If the house is old, you may want to have a home safety inspection performed. A home safety inspection will look at wiring, plumbing, heating and cooling as well as other parts of the home that could cause issues.

Get them a home security system

A home security system can help protect a senior citizen against burglaries as well as life threatening situations. Some security companies offer personal emergency response systems. This allows seniors to push a button on a remote for help during medical emergencies and other life threatening situations.

Call or visit them a few times a week 

If the family member is living alone, give them a phone call or visit them a few times a week to make sure that they’re okay. They’ll appreciate the call or visit.

Help them with household tasks

It’s important to help seniors with household tasks such as lifting heavy objects, yard work, snow removal, etc. This will help reduce the possibility of injury. It’s also a great way to bond with the family member.

Install no slip surfaces

The risk of falling increases the older that you get. According to LearnNotToFall.com, more than half of seniors over 80 years old fall every single year. To help prevent this, install no slip surfaces in your loved one’s home. You’ll want to put these surfaces in bathrooms, kitchens and stairs.

Following these tips will help keep your loved ones safe. For even more home security tips, please read other postings on the Hue & Cry Blog.