Page 3 - Senior Times South Central Michigan - April 2016 - 23-04

Senior Times - April 2016 Page 3
to balance your weight for the change in height. Having something stable to grab onto will help you to feel more secure. Lighting is important here as well. Have
a loved one replace the lighting as soon as you experience a burned out bulb in any location near stairs. Painting the area a lighter or brighter color can help as well as adding slip resistant tape. By all means, be sure to remove anything that is not part of the stairway from the steps such as the items that seem to accumulate that you are planning to take up or down with you on the next trip.
Day Project 4: Well-Lighted Is A Must
It’s time for a walk through your home. The stairs are not the only place that lighting in critical. Lighting is important
in every room, hallway or place where the surface changes from one room to the next.
Do you get up in the middle of the night? If so, strategically placed night-lights can make any late night stroll to the kitchen
or bathroom more safe. Brightening up a room is important not only for safety sake but also for good transition from daytime to nighttime as well as the effects on your mood. Open those drapes to let the sunlight in. It will help keep your days and nights in order but will also add a ray of sunshine in more ways than one.
Lets not forget the ease that technology can add as well. Automatic night-lights for hallways and bathrooms or screw in dusk-to-dawn sensors for outdoors can be set on timers and forgotten about for the most part all the while adding safety for the home owner.
Day Project 5: Safer Landings
No I do not mean after a fall I am referring to the areas you pause in before
entering your home. If you are like most people you will try to balance as many objects as you can just so you don’t have to make a second trip back to the car. This is not always a safe idea, especially as you are trying to balance all of these and then fumble for your keys so you can unlock the door to get into your home.
If you must be Superman with all your packages one way to make it safer is to add a table or bench near your entry door. Set all your items down, unlock the door and then enter the home. This will allow you to adjust, possibly turn on lights
(if they aren’t already on) and reduce the risk of slips, trips and falls. Keep in mind that entryways are especially dangerous if not well lit.
Day Project 6: Stability In The Bathroom
Lets start with good lighting. After
that be sure that there is an opportunity to stabilize changes in height in the bathroom. Grab bars are great by the toilet, shower, and more. A step-in shower is always
safer than climbing over a tub, but if that
is not possible, the grab bar will help.
A seat or bench in the shower/tub may
be helpful as well as
non-slip bathmats for inside and outside of the shower. A single, lever-like faucet as previously discussed can help with both turning on and off the water but also getting the water temperature just right and eliminating scalding. A removable, hand-held showerhead can also be helpful for the person with limited mobility.
Day Project 7: Say Thank You!
Be sure to thank those that have helped to make your home safer. Inviting them back for lunch or out for lunch is a great way to do that. It is also a great opportunity to spend some quality time with another. You could even start planning the next round of updates to the home. Keep in mind that these changes are going to help your loved one to feel better about you living more safely at home as well.
If you need help developing more ideas visit the Center for Universal Design website at www.ncsu.edu/ncsu/design/ cud/index.htm. AARP also has specific information for seniors on their website at www.aarp.org.
An Active Senior Living Community
– NorthPointe Woods Residents, Jo-Anne and Fred Shouldice Sr. –
“The residents and staff are so helpful and friendly, we feel like part of a big family.”
700 North Avenue, Battle Creek
269-964-7625 www.northpointewoods.org
Call for more information or to schedule a tour.
“Feels like home.”