Aging can be a life-changing, difficult journey for both senior citizens and their loved ones. Nearly 90% of seniors want to stay in their own homes* as they age. To achieve this, following basic senior safety tips can help maintain their freedom. This blog will discuss senior safety, senior safety devices, and general senior safety tips to better the lives of senior citizens and the loved ones who care for them.
How to Prevent a Fall
About one in four older adults will fall in the U.S. each year.** Falls are not a normal part of aging, and you can do many things to avoid the risk of a fall. Here are several senior safety tips to prevent falls:
· Install grab bars and railings throughout your home and in the bathroom or shower.
· Secure rugs to the ground with doubled-sided tape. In the bathroom, use rubber mats to reduce the risk of slipping.
· Make sure your home is well lit, so you can see where you are going at all times.
· Don’t leave things on the floor that you could trip over.
· Stand up slowly to avoid dizziness.
· Talk with your health care provider about medication side effects that could cause dizziness or balance problems.
· Use a cane or a walker if you need more stability.
· Do strength and balance exercises.
· Get your vision and hearing checked regularly.
Senior Safety Device: Even by taking these precautions, falls can happen. Consider adding a CPI medical pendant to your loved one’s CPI Security system. If they fall, CPI will come over the two-way speaker when they click the button on their medical pendant. After confirming the emergency, CPI will dispatch first responders and stay with your loved one until help arrives.
Monitoring Your Loved One at Home
Even though your loved one may be healthy enough to live alone, you may want to take measures to monitor them more closely. There are several senior safety devices you can add to your smart home security system that will help you keep a close watch on your loved one, while maintaining their freedom.
Indoor Cameras
With their permission, you can check in on them throughout the day with indoor cameras. CPI’s 180-degree indoor camera is mobile and can be moved wherever they go.
Bonus: You can even communicate with them via two-way audio, so they can update you on their day without picking up the phone.
Smart Door Lock
With CPI’s Smart Door Lock, seniors can give trusted loved ones or caregivers their own unique code to access the home. They can give access at all times, during certain hours of the day, or temporarily.
Bonus: If your loved one has an emergency, CPI can remotely unlock the door so first responders can get in without delay.
Carbon Monoxide Detection
Just like everyone, it’s important for seniors to have working carbon monoxide detectors in their home. Carbon monoxide can be deadly, especially because you cannot see or smell the gas. With CPI’s Smart Carbon Monoxide Detector, CPI’s central station operators will come over the two-way speaker to ensure your loved ones get out of the house before it’s too late. For more information on carbon monoxide poisoning, like how many carbon monoxide detectors you need, how to know if there is carbon monoxide in your home, or is carbon monoxide heavier than air, check out our blog.
24/7 Fire Protection
Much like carbon monoxide, you can’t skimp out on fire safety for seniors, or any loved one for that matter. It’s important to have working smoke detectors throughout your home. Just like our Smart Carbon Monoxide Detector, CPI’s Smart Smoke Detector is backed by our 24/7 award-winning monitoring center. So, if your loved one can’t call 911 or leave the home, CPI will dispatch first responders for them.
Senior Driving Safety
Your loved one may want to maintain their driving privileges for as long as possible. But it’s your responsibility to ensure they do so safely. This is especially important for someone with Alzheimer’s disease. There are several signs*** that may signal it’s no longer safe for your loved one to drive, such as:
· New dents or scrapes on the car or multiple near misses or crashes
· Taking a long time to do a simple errand and not being able to explain why
· Confusing the brake and gas pedals
· Multiple traffic tickets or warnings
· Comments from neighbors or friends about unsafe driving
· Other health issues that might affect driving, such as changes in vision, hearing, and movement
· Speeding or driving too slowly
· Making sudden lane changes or other poor decisions in traffic
· Recommendations from a doctor to modify driving habits or quit driving
Senior Safety Device: If your loved one is still driving, you can keep a close watch on their whereabouts, driving habits, and car diagnostics with CPI Drive.
Other Senior Safety Tips
Online Scams
Elderly people are often the targets of online scams. In fact, in 2021, there were 92,371 older victims of fraud resulting in $1.7 billion in losses. **** Ensure your loved one is aware of common scams targeting seniors, so they are less likely to fall victim.
Home Safety Tips for Seniors
Make sure your loved one always keeps the doors locked, arms their security system, and doesn’t allow anyone in the home they don’t know.
Natural Disaster Preparedness for Seniors
Natural disasters can strike when we least expect it. That’s why it’s important to have an emergency response plan and emergency essentials ready. Make sure your loved one has essentials like water, food, medications, batteries, chargers, and other emergency items. Plan transportation if they need help evacuating.
Helping your loved one age independently and safely is of upmost importance to CPI Security. For more information on how you can care for your loved one, visit our health and senior safety page. And for other security and safety tips, visit the CPI Security blog.
Sources:
*Rural Health Information Hub, “Overview of Aging in Place”
** Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Keep on Your Feet- Preventing Older Adult Falls”
*** National Institute on Aging, “Driving Safety and Alzheimer’s Disease”
**** National Council on Aging, ““The Top 5 Financial Scams Targeting Older Adults”
