Spring is a good time of the year to start new projects around the house. And if caregiving is a part of the equation, making the home safer can benefit all involved.

A quick Internet search on making a home safe for the elderly and those with disabilities requiring care yields many results. One example is a story KCET, the nation’s largest independent public television station, published online titled, “‘Seniorizing'” Your Home: Making it Safe for Elderly,” by John Whitmarsh and Laura Coverson. The story offers important tips for making the home safer by removing hazards, improving bathroom facilities, and making daily activities simpler.

“Many changes are easy to make and inexpensive. Changes can be simple, such as removing rugs,” the article states. “More complicated home modifications may require help of a professional, but there are government and non-profit groups available to help seniors. Some of these services, moreover, may be free of charge or low cost.”

Some of the seniorizing tips include: keeping the home well lit, especially stairways, porches, and outside walkways; adding extra light switches or remote switches (such as those that go on or off with the clap of hands) and sturdy handrails to stairways; and placing nonskid mats inside and outside your shower or tub and near the toilet and sinks.

“There are many factors involved in in-home care and the safer a home is, inside and out, the better for seniors and their caregivers,” says Great Care Founder and CEO Julie Sullivan. “Reducing risk for injuries and falls are always ideal, and if upgrades and updates to can me made always help in the long run.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), one out of three older adults (aged 65 or older) falls each year, and falls are the leading cause of both fatal and nonfatal injuries among older adults. In 2013, 2.5 million nonfatal falls among older adults were treated in emergency departments and more than 734,000 of these patients were hospitalized. That same year, the direct medical costs of falls, adjusted for inflation, were $34 billion.

Along with making the home safer, the CDC suggests these health tips for older adults to lower hip fracture risk:

• Get adequate calcium and vitamin D—from food and/or from supplements.
• Do weight bearing exercise.
• Get screened and, if needed, treated for osteoporosis.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) offers tips on fall-proofing the home for seniors, with these helpful suggestions:

• Arrange furniture to give you plenty of room to walk freely. Also remove items from stairs, hallways, and pathways
• Put non-slip strips on floors and steps. Put non-slip strips or a rubber mat on the floor of your bathtub or shower, as well. You can buy these items at a home center or hardware store.
• Properly placed grab bars in your tub and shower, and next to the toilet, can help you avoid falls, too. Have grab bars installed, and use them every time you get in and out of the tub or shower. Be sure the grab bars are securely attached to the wall.

More information on falls and older adults from NIH can be found at: http://nihseniorhealth.gov/falls/homesafety/01.html

The professionals at Great Care are available to talk with you and your family about all of your home care needs. Great Care is a non medical in-home care agency providing quality and affordable elder care in Fishers, IN and the surrounding areas. Call (317) 595-9933 for more information.