What is an Elderly Home Safety Checklist?
An elderly home safety checklist is a vital part of an elderly fall prevention program in nursing homes. Nursing home supervisors use an elderly home safety checklist to identify and prevent safety hazards in retirement homes. Loose handrails, poor lighting, improperly equipped bathrooms, and uneven floors are common safety risks in eldercare facilities. A home safety checklist for elderly is an effective tool that can encourage retirement home managers to make corrections against common safety hazards before accidents occur.
Each elderly home is unique, but there are obstacles common in many home environments. An elderly home safety checklist must bring people’s attention to critical areas in the house, such as:
- Entrances
- Living areas
- Bathrooms
- Kitchens
- Bedrooms
- Stairs
The following article addresses the following points:
1. Who uses and elderly home safety checklist?
2. A quick guide to elderly home safety checklists
3. A mobile application for elderly home safety checklists
Who uses an elderly home safety checklist?
Falls constitute 75 percent of accidents resulting in death among the elderly. It is, by far, the most common, followed by sharps injury at 8% and foreign body ingestion at 6%. And yet, these accidents are preventable. There are steps you can take to provide a safe living environment for the elderly.
With the use of an elderly home safety checklist, retirement home supervisors can make sure the elderly are living in a safe environment. Here is why.
- Home Safety Checklists Make Assessments Easier and More Efficient
Potential hazards abound in many retirement homes. Railings must be secure, locks should be functional, and there must be no broken steps. These are but a few of the things you need to consider when assessing an elderly home for safety and security. It is easy to miss one or more areas if you don’t consult a home safety checklist. - It Makes Safety Audits Organized
An elderly home safety checklist has specific guidelines for each area of the facility. It gives safety audits a structure that helps the inspector organize a systematic plan. A home safety checklist for the elderly is, therefore, time-saving and cost-effective. - It Improves Accountability
Using an elderly home safety checklist also helps the inspector show the results of their performance. It can serve as a record of the tasks performed. For this reason, the staff who will do the inspection will have a concrete idea of their responsibilities. A home safety checklist provides no room for a sloppy performance.
If you are a family looking for a retirement home for your loved one, you also need an elderly home safety checklist. This checklist can help you conduct a thorough inspection of assisted living facilities. Using this checklist means you can pick the safest environment for your elderly parent.
A quick guide to elderly home safety checklists
An elderly home is a place that should offer safety for seniors who need care. They have gotten a bad rap in the past. But with government regulations and elderly home inspections, the quality of their services can be improved.
To keep an elderly home safe and secure, you must be mindful of the usual safety risks seen in retirement homes. Don’t overlook in the home safety checklist for elderly the following:
The Entryway
Entry points often present safety risks for seniors. Elderly home entryways must be modified to accommodate the specific needs of its residents. Some of the things to keep in mind when creating a safe entrance for the elderly are:
- The doorways and hallways must be wide enough to fit wheelchairs.
- Keep obstructions away, such as plants and shrubs.
- There must be no throw rugs and loose objects.
- Steps must have adequate lighting and should be at least three feet wide.
- Repair loose handrails right away.
Living Areas
Living areas are where the elderly spend most of their time during the day. It is where they can watch their favorite TV shows or chat with a friend. They will most likely be walking around the area often. An elderly home safety checklist makes sure that:
- There must be no electric or phone cords in walking areas.
- Residents must have easy access to light switches.
- Chairs must allow for easy sitting and rising.
- Smoke detectors must be in good working condition.
- Make furniture secure enough to lean on.
Bathrooms
Bathrooms can be the most dangerous area in the house for the elderly. About 17.3% of falls with injuries happen in the bathroom. To avoid falls and accidents in the bathroom, make sure that:
- The floor is free from clutter.
- The toilet seat height makes standing and sitting easy.
- There is a shower bench available.
- There are non-skid surfaces in the tub or shower.
- Towels and toilet paper are easy to reach.
The Bedroom
There are numerous risk factors found in the bedroom for the elderly. Some of them are poor lighting and sliding throw rugs. An elderly home safety checklist must include the following:
- Clear pathways
- Light switch at the doorway
- Light switch on bedside stands
- No throw rugs
- The bed is firm and secure
- Nightlight is installed
- Flashlight within arm’s reach in case of a power outage
- No rolling furniture
- No trip hazards
- Grab bars installed in crucial areas
Kitchen
The kitchen is another high-risk place for the elderly. Here is how to make sure seniors are safe in the kitchen:
- No throw rugs and mats on the floor
- The floor is clean, dry, and not slippery
- No outdated appliances
- Commonly used kitchen supplies are within reach
- No flammable materials near heat sources
- Sufficient lighting
- Drawers are easy to open and close
- Knives and other sharp objects are in their proper storage
It’s not just the physical environment that a home safety checklist for elderly must assess. The checklist must also include other aspects of the facility, such as staff certification, meal options, and activities.
A thorough elderly home safety checklist must show that the facility has the right staff, including nurses, doctors, and pharmacists. Privacy is also another consideration. Adequate nutrition is a fundamental part of an elderly’s wellness and safety. An elderly home safety checklist ensures that healthy meals are prepared in a safe environment.
Some facilities allow cats and dogs as they can provide companionship for the residents. These pets, however, may pose risks. The checklist ensures that the pets are vaccinated and they don’t become tripping hazards for the seniors.
A mobile application for elderly home safety checklists
A home safety checklist, like the risk for falls care plan, is an important tool for protecting elderly people in their daily lives. Identifying and preventing safety hazards in retirement homes can be challenging, especially because employees in such always have many tasks to perform.
Lumiform supports elderly home safety as a digital inspection platform by providing the tools to assess the safety risk. All data is automatically stored in the cloud, where it can be accessed at any time. We have compiled the best elderly home safety checklist templates for you to customize as you wish. Take advantage of a digital solution for safety prevention in your elderly home:
- Conduct regular safety inspections in the elderly care home using a checklist to collect up-to-date data. This makes risks measurable, and you can use the data to optimize your measures constantly.
- Automatically create elderly home safety reports from the data you collect – this will save you from having to follow up with no gaps.
- Save time by analyzing all your data more efficiently and quickly identify areas that need your attention.
- Lumiform is very easy to use. It makes it simple for healthcare workers to enter data and leaves no room for error. The app offers less complexity in documenting or completing elderly home safety checklists than complicated paper or Excel lists.
- Elderly home safety inspections are completed approximately 30-50% faster overall.
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