Sunday, October 18, 2009

Ways to Keep Senior Citizens Safely at Home

By Alex Markson

Safety remains a deciding factor if seniors are to be kept secure at home. Latest researches into the matter demonstrate that falls are the major cause of injury deaths suffered by elderly persons.

Injuries that are not fatal like bruises, fractures and brain injuries, needing hospitalization for trauma are also caused by falls. Statistics show that in the United States alone, one third of the senior people fall each year. A senior person's ability to move about and keep physically fit can be affected by the fear of falling and fear of injuries.

It is quite possible for a professional medic to be familiar with a senior citizen's tendency to fall. Elders often fall because they are weak in their lower limbs. Impaired vision, dementia, giddiness, and decreased balance also could cause falls. Contrary to popular thinking, factors like impaired vision, dizziness, decreased balance, and dementia could also cause falls. Most causes of falls are not in any way connected with health at all.

In order to make their lives safer, it is better to keep the elders under constant supervision. Even then, those ailing from disorders like dementia, have to come across many risks. To evade possible dangers, the Alzheimer's Association of America has laid down some guidelines. Install equipment that can sense fire, carbon monoxide and smoke. Keep locked areas like garages and stairs. Install locks out of reach of the old folk. Remove the locks from bath and bedroom doors so that they don't get entrapped inside them. Keep harmful items under lock and key. Take away the burner knobs of cooking ranges and use electrical appliances that can turn off automatically.

To protect the elders effectively, secure the house very well. Criminals like burglars like nothing better than households inhabited by senior citizens. So it is imperative that doors and windows are secured properly so that from such unruly elements cannot break into the house. Elderly folk are impotent and vulnerable when faced with such people, something that should be avoided at any cost. Since an elder has passed his better years, he should be protected from all potential dangers both from within and without.

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