Bedroom safety for the elderly
Most of us think as the most dangerous rooms in the homes of the elderly as the bathroom and the kitchen. However the cosy retreat of the bedroom can also house some perils.
Here a few considerations for a safer bedroom
- Ensure any floor coverings such as carpets and rugs and smooth and flat and not posing a trip hazzard.
- Ensure electric blankets are either replaced or checked by an expert electrician every 3 years
- Ensure any cables for electric blankets are safely housed and are not going to cause someone to fall.
- Ensure there is a smoke alarm near the bedroom, most fires start at night and most elderly people wear hearing aids which they remove in bed.
- Good lighting is useful for anyone who needs to get up for the loo in the night. This reduces the risk of falling and if walking aids are used ensure they are kept near the bed.
- If someone is very unsteady on their feet a commode is a useful solution when someone is also sleepy.
- Ensure the floor is not cluttered with items and keep handbags safely stowed somewhere.
- Ensure that anyone who has dementia and has a tendency to wander at night has a Window Lock
fitted and also has some dementia assistance cards in their pockets, they are free and will help someone to be returned in the case of an emergency. - Many elderly people have difficulty getting out of bed and there are many solutions available to this problem from bed-guards to pull-up ladders.
- Loose bed-clothes fill me with dread, counterpanes dragging on the floor or loose sheets.
Thanks for that Karen. Do you have a senario regarding this subject that you would care to share to help my readers ?
Please check your loved ones mattress. If memory foam it needs turning, and this is NOT on an O/Ts check list.