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Living at Home Independently
What to look for around your home, check internal and external surfaces around your home- Are they slippery ? A range of non-slip tapes & coatings are available to reduce the risk of a fall due to slippery surfaces.
Look for tripping hazards- Uneven surfaces, loose rugs, torn or shredded carpet, tile and floor surface edges and thresholds can all be a potential tripping hazard- A range of wedges and infills can be custom made to eliminate or reduce a tripping hazard.
Lighting around your home- is it adequate? would it be better to consider automated lighting ie a sensor light that activates when you get out of the car or walk to the front door.
Furniture- can you easily get out of your favourite arm chair, couch or bed ? A chair or bed raising platform placed under your existing furniture will make the transition safer and easier.
Access to the smallest rooms in the house, Toilet doors pose one of the biggest risks in your home, should you collapse, it is extremely difficult for your partner or helper to rescue or assist you in a timely manner. Many deaths and delays in rescuing a person collapsed in a toilet prompted the Australian building regulations to change in 1996, requiring all new dwellings to have adequate safety features such as area for all toilet doors to be easily removed from the outside- lift off hinges were introduced as a safer alternative to the standard hinges. Other ways to solve this problem are to change the door to open out or a sliding door if there is enough room for this modification or the best and simplest way is to install Ross Safety Hinges, with minor modifications to the door jamb and installation of Ross hinges the door can be opened outward in an emergency within seconds, enabling the patient to be rescued in a timely manner.
Grab rails placed correctly in the bathroom, shower ,toilet and other areas of the house are a great aid in keeping your balance and reducing the risk of harmful falls and injury.
It is essential that you have a telephone either landline or mobile close at hand should you need to contact anyone in an emergency, it is worth also considering a personal alarm for peace of mind, a working smoke alarm and even a gas detector shut off is a great safety device to have installed at your oven and cooktop, these devices save lives.
Keep a list of emergency contacts including family members and local GP on your fridge, it is a good idea to also have a list of your usual medications and allergies at hand.Sometimes in an emergency seconds count.
These are just a few things to consider and our best advise to you is before you spend money on any home modifications, consult a trained Occupational Therapist who will organise a professional assessment in your home. Every persons needs although similar, are also unique and a trained professional will give you the correct advise for your personal needs.
