Tips for Seniors to Stay Safe at Home

The older we get, the more time we spend at home. Here is a room-by-room guide to some of the simple things you can do to make your home a safer place.

You spend more time at home than anywhere else, especially in your later years, so it’s vital to make your home a safe environment for you and your loved ones. Good home safety is all about accident prevention, which means having a good look around your property for ‘accidents waiting to happen, then removing them. What follows is a room-by-room guide to some of the simple things you can do to make your home a safer place. 

Hallways: Entrance halls often have hard floors and can become slippery when wet. If you tread rain or mud into the hallway, make sure to mop it up. If you have hallway mats or rugs they should have a non-slip backing. Hallways can accumulate clutter, but does it really need to be there? 

Living room: If you have an open fire or solid fuel burner, it should be regularly maintained, including an annual inspection and cleaning of the chimney or flue. Use a fireguard to catch sparks, especially if you leave the room. Make sure seating is in good solid condition, especially if you tend to drop down onto a chair. If you have pets, make sure their toys are regularly tidied away so you don’t trip over them. Modern homes are full of electrical gadgets and it’s too easy to end up with wires or cables trailing across the floor or running under carpets or rugs. This can result in trips and falls or a fire hazard as unseen cables become worn. Don’t overload electrical sockets.  

Kitchen: Naked flames and very hot surfaces are found in kitchens. Keep a dry powder fire extinguisher handy and learn how to use it before you need to. Pans on the stove should have handles turned inwards so you don’t catch them. Always keep flammable objects away from hot surfaces and use good quality oven gloves when handling hot objects. Keep electrical devices such as toasters or mixers away from water. Clear up wet or dry spills straight away – you can slip on rice or flour as easily as water. If you deep-fry, learn how to contain a fire with a damp towel or fire blanket. If there’s a microwave fire, keep the microwave door closed and unplug it. Keep things you use regularly within easy reach so you don’t have to stretch or climb, and don’t leave sharp knives lying around, especially if children visit your home. 

Basement: Don’t store flammable materials in a basement or any space beneath your home; would you want to be sitting on a potential bonfire? If domestic appliances are housed in your basement, make sure they’re in good condition and unplugged or turned off at the socket when not in use. Ensure the steps to your basement are well-lit and in good condition. If you have storage shelves in the basement, make sure they’re stable (not top-heavy), and don’t overload them. 

Utility room/laundry: If you have a tumble dryer it will have a lint trap which should be cleaned out after every use (a build-up of lint is a fire hazard). Clean out the dryer vent hose regularly and don’t run the dryer when you’re not at home. Washing machines can also catch fire so make sure yours is regularly maintained. Keep any electrical items away from water sources and mop up any spills. 

Garage/storage shed/workshop: If you store flammable liquids such as fuel for a mower or paint thinners, keep them to a minimum and store them in suitable containers away from heat sources. Avoid clutter by using storage shelves, wall hooks, etc. Check the floor regularly for oil or fuel spills and never leave a vehicle engine running in an enclosed garage, leading to a build-up of potentially lethal carbon monoxide fumes. 

Bedrooms: Electric blankets should be regularly inspected and discarded if worn or frayed. Avoid trip hazards, such as loose rugs or trailing cables, especially if you need to get up at the night. Don’t overload electrical sockets and never fall asleep with something like a laptop in the bed. Smoking in bed is extremely dangerous. Use a sturdy stepladder if you need to get up high, maybe for storing things on top of a wardrobe or changing a lightbulb. Keep a torch handy in case of a power cut. 

Bathroom: Never take ‘plugged in’ electrical devices into a bathroom – electricity and water are a deadly combination. If you listen to the radio while you’re in the bath or shower, use a battery-powered one. Mop up any water spills and only use non-slip rubber-backed mats. If you struggle to get in and out of the bath, think about installing extra handrails or a bath lift. Similarly, grab rails are helpful in the shower, where you might want to use a shower seat and handheld showerhead if you struggle to stand. Always check the water temperature in a bath or shower before getting in. 

Stairs: Any trip or fall can be serious, but on the stairs, it could be catastrophic. Don’t store objects on the stairs, even for short periods – keep them clutter-free. Check that stairs carpets are not loose or worn. Don’t climb the stairs in ‘sloppy fitting’ shoes or slippers, or long flowing clothes which you could trip on. Handrails and banisters should be securely fixed and stairs should be well lit. If you no longer feel safe on the stairs, consider investing in a home stairlift. 

General home safety tips: There are some safety tips that apply throughout the home. Make sure you have good lighting, especially on staircases. Use high-wattage bulbs, but don’t exceed the stated limit of the socket you’re fitting them to. Avoid clutter and trip hazards everywhere, but especially in dangerous areas such as staircases. Work out an emergency escape plan, so you know how to get out of any room in the event of a fire. For upstairs rooms, this might mean emergency fire escape ladders which can be unrolled from a window. Smoke detectors should be installed in key locations around the home and tested regularly, with batteries changed once a year. Carbon monoxide detectors will alert you to any build-up of this toxic gas which is given off by anything that burns – some detectors combine both functions. Having a number of dry powder fire extinguishers in the home is a good idea.