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Injury Prevention at Home

Tue 26 May 2009 - 20:13

Injury Prevention at Home
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Natalie_Ingram]Natalie Ingram

People cherish their independence from youth all the way to the end of their days. While it is important to respect a person's desire to maintain self-sufficient, as loved ones get older it is necessary to outfit their home with the proper items to maximize safety. The old a person gets, the more vulnerable they become to injury and the more severe the repercussions of injury are. Improving the home security of an elderly individual or individuals who choose to live on their own is very important. There are some obvious measures that must be taken, but additional, smaller details need to be addressed in order for the home to be as safe as possible.

Falling is probably the biggest danger faced by older people living on their own. This is especially dangerous if there is just one person living in the home. There are a few key areas within the home that need extra attention in order to protect against falls. Hallways, staircases, and entryways should be looked at rather carefully in order to increase home security for elderly individuals. There are a few things that people should check within these areas, such as, whether or not the outline of each step is clearly visible while going both up and down the stairs. Handrails should be installed along stairways going all the way from the top to the bottom, extending a little beyond the final step at both the top and bottom.

It is also very important that there is a light switch at both the top and bottom of the staircase. The handrails should be thin enough that a person can wrap their hand most of the way around them in order to get a good grip. If there is carpet on the stairs it is necessary that it is well fastened to the floor in order to ensure home security. All hallways within the home should be lit with nightlights to avoid any nocturnal spills. Bedrooms should also have a light within easy reach of the bed as well as a nightlight just to be safe. The bathroom is a very dangerous place for accidental falls so there should be no slip rubber mats placed in the bath and shower as well as the floor.

Grab bars should also be installed in the bathroom next to the toilet, bath, and shower to help with easy access to each place. No slip mats should also be placed in the kitchen and if there are any rugs in there then they should have rubber backing that grabs onto the floor. It is best for home security if most items in the kitchen are accessible without the use of a stepping stool. Heavy items should definitely be placed in easy to reach locations in order to avoid any falls or heavy articles falling and injuring an elderly person.

All of these measures will help and older individual live on their own without having to worry so much about hurting themselves in a fall. Just in case they do fall, there should be a phone within reach with emergency numbers listed alongside it. Wearing a bracelet that can be activated to contact authorities is another great idea. These will hopefully be last resorts in a house with proper home security.

With an [http://www.securitychoice.com/]ADT security system you can help protect your family. Shop for [http://www.securitychoice.com/]ADT security systems today.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Natalie_Ingram http://EzineArticles.com/?Injury-Prevention-at-Home&id=2386273


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