June 26, 2008

The month of June is National Home Safety Month, and local senior care experts are hoping to alert home owners of potential hazards.

More and more studies show that the elderly would prefer to stay home than be placed in assisted living, and with that comes the responsibility to make sure your loved ones are living in a safe environment.

Experts say looking for these hazards is an issue that needs to be addressed before it becomes a problem.

“You want make sure you test the heat of the water coming out of the water heater, a lot of times it's set way too high,” owner of Home Instead Senior Care, Jeanne McCusker said.

Local senior care experts, like McCusker are hoping to shed some light on some of the hidden dangers lurking in your home.

“This generation has a lot of antique beds that they're very much attached to. They tend to be a little bit high, so one easy way to fix that is actually cut the legs down a little bit,” McCusker said.

Another alternative is a device that goes in between the box spring and mattress to provide a stable handle for people getting in and out of bed.

“Its just that little bit of that extra help that they need to stay home and as independent as possible,” McCusker said.

According to McCusker, being independent comes by being proactive.

“You certainly can’t prevent strokes, you can do everything you can to be healthy, but other things like tripping on a throw rug and breaking a hip can be prevented,” McCusker said.

Experts suggest taking a few minutes to walk through the home, looking for those potential hazards.

“If someone has arthritis or they have neuropathy, they're having a hard time opening a door, you can easily install lever door handle that would make it easy for them to open,” McCusker said.

With a little time and a small investment there are several ways to keep your loved ones safe and sound, in the place they feel at home.

“There's a lot of comfort there, a lot of memories that keep them happier and healthy for longer periods of time,” McCusker said.

Several agencies, like Home Instead Senior Care will come into your home to conduct one of these safety reviews.