Home Safety Tips for Seniors During the Holidays

The holiday season is synonymous with spending quality time with friends and family. However, it’s also the time when household accidents are more likely to occur. Older citizens are especially vulnerable to risks involving fire or slips, and they should exercise more caution. Here are essential safety tips to help protect seniors during the holiday season.

Holiday safety tips for seniors

Checking on seniors

A trusted person should check on them regularly and more often during weather emergencies. Alternatively, a caregiving service can look in on seniors, especially those who are physically or cognitively disabled. Seniors must also have transportation to medical appointments or the grocery store.

Ice and snow removal

Any snow and ice should be removed from the walkways and driveways around a senior’s house. Plenty of sand or salt should be used to help prevent slips and falls. Seniors who plan to do it themselves should work slowly and take frequent breaks.

Emergency kits

All seniors should have an emergency kit that includes essential items to survive a power outage or another emergency. It should at least contain food, water, medicine, and hygiene items to last for three days.

Decorations

Friends or family of the elderly should help them put up holiday decorations. In addition, using flame-resistant decorations, including an artificial Christmas tree, is much safer. Yet, decorating should be moderate to prevent cluttering and the risk of tripping or falling. There should be plenty of room to walk in decorated areas.

Extension cords

Extension cords should be kept away from heavily traveled areas. However, cords should not go underneath carpets to prevent damaging them.

Candles

Replacing real candles must with flameless electrical candles is a safer choice. Bright centerpieces of fruit and flowers are also a great idea.

Lighting

All locations in the home must have proper lighting. That’s because dim holiday lights can make it harder for seniors to see their way around furniture.

Light switches

When having elderly guests, homeowners must ensure that the light switches in guest bedrooms are accessible from the bed or a nearby chair. Also, there should be a night light between the guest bedroom and the bathroom.

Furniture

Any furniture, such as low coffee tables, must be positioned in a way that makes it easier for people to move around them.

Rugs

It’s best to remove throw rugs to prevent slips. Alternatively, a non-slip pad should be added underneath them. This is especially important on floors in bathrooms or hallways that tend to be slippery.

Kids and pets

When seniors are visiting, homeowners should ask their children to play in a specially designated area. Also, exuberant pets should be controlled when an elderly guest is walking through the house.

PuroClean Canada wishes everyone a safe holiday season with friends and family! We stand ready to provide professional restoration services to any property affected by fire, water or mould damage.