Try: Aging in place can be made much safer and simpler by making sure that the home environment is secure and has been adapted to reflect the changing needs of Care recipient (cr) use the following checklist to make the necessary updates and modifications that will ensure a safer and more senior friendly home for the cr in all areas of the home keep extension cords anchored close to the walls and out of the traffic areas do not anchor with nails or staples that could damage the cords use tape instead increase the wattage of light bulbs if possible and maintain adequate lighting throughout the home keep night lights on at night in hallways and in the bathrooms remove all poisonous houseplants make sure the home has good ventilation throughout place reflector tape or use padded corner bumpers on furniture with sharp edges remove all throw rugs and check carpet edges for loose edges or fraying keep contact and emergency telephone numbers posted by all telephones if the phone has speed dial functions program in the emergency contact numbers monitor and maintain smoke and carbon monoxide detectors replace straight chairs with chairs with sturdy arms that can be used to rise out of the seat safely put child-proof plugs in empty electrical outlets remove magazines small tables and all clutter from traffic areas put reflector tape on the edges of stairways or paint them a contrasting color make sure there is a fire extinguisher in the home and that it is inspected regularly if space heaters are used make sure they are placed away from furniture and out of traffic areas where they can be tipped over keep hallways free of clutter and make sure they are well lit with switches at both ends of the hall in the kitchen keep any extension cords away from the sink areas check shelves and put the most used items on the lower shelves where they can be reached with less effort lighten any shelves that may be overloaded with dishes or pantry items that could fall reduce the hot water temperature to prevent scalding make sure the kitchen floor is not waxed and slippery place all unneeded appliances out of the way and off of the countertops move all small items of furniture close to the walls and remove any unnecessary chairs away from the kitchen table to prevent stumbling and falling if the garbage disposal isn’t used on a regular basis disconnect it in the bathroom reduce the hot water temperature to prevent scalding place a non-skid bathmat in the tub make sure any rugs in the bathroom have a non-skid backing or use double faced tape to secure them to the floor install grab bars in the tub or shower and close to the toilet stool replace spring type shower curtain rods with ones that screw into the wall keep small appliances such as electric razors hair dryers or curling irons away from the tub and sink areas use a nightlight use contrasting and bright towels and washcloths so they will be visible by the sink and tub install a contrasting toilet seat to make the stool more visible paint the walls a color that contrasts with the fixtures check medicine cabinets and discard any unused or poisonous items make sure there is a mirror at a proper height for either sitting or standing in the bedroom make sure the sharp corners of nightstands or dressers are cushioned keep nightstand clear of clutter that can fall off and contribute to falls in the night use a nightlight near doorways keep a small light near the bed or make sure there is a light switch nearby if electric blankets are used make sure there are no coverings on top of them and that the edges are not tucked under the mattresses keep a telephone close to the bed if necessary mark the path from the bedroom to the bathroom with reflector tape raise or lower the bed to make it easier to get into or out of keep a flashlight near the bed in case of power outages information references
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*This information is listed as a Fact Sheet and is not explicitly medically licensed