How to Create a Safe Place for Your Senior Parent

While living in their own home may be an option for some seniors, there are things you should consider to make the space safer for them to age in place. This post shares several tips on how to make a safe (Affiliate Link) place for your senior parent.

Jump to:

• Secure the railings on the different staircases.
• Keeping your elderly parents on the ground is essential.
• Bathrooms are a hazardous place for older adults.
• Laundry baskets may be challenging to get into, especially if they are deep.
• Getting in and out of bed can be an issue.
• Some kitchen items need replacing.
• Some older adults have issues holding plates and forks.
• Are your senior parents ready for an emergency or weather issue?
• Keep Parents Hydrated.
• Install Internet-connected security cameras.
• Install proper lighting
• Outside safety
• Keeping your parents' paperwork and valuables secure is essential.

But, first, before purchasing home items, walk through the house with your senior parent and have them run through their normal daily activities. Jot down the tasks and areas they seem to struggle with. These are the areas you should consider adjusting to them. Make sure they are involved when it comes to any process change. It needs to be easy for them to do and remember. Let's begin.

Please note: the items below are from Amazon (Affiliate Link).com, and at no additional cost to you, I will receive a referral fee if you purchase an item(s). 

Secure the railings on the different staircases.

If there is a two-level or more home, be sure the railings are secured to the studs in the wall. 

My father was staying with us, and when he was using the railing, it separated from the wall because one of the railing anchors was not attached to a stud.

If they have issues going up and down stairs and you can afford it, you can purchase a chair (Affiliate Link) lift that mounts to the stairs instead of the wall. Some newer homes don't have two railings on the stairs, so adding the additional secure railing will help, as well.

Keeping your elderly parents on the ground is essential.

Another way to create a safe (Affiliate Link) place for senior parents is to ensure their essential items are between 3 feet and 6 feet off the ground. They should not be standing on chairs or ladders. Using something that will help them stay on the ground and reach high or low items is very useful. You can purchase different lengths for them.

You can easily buy grabber bars and store them in different areas of the home if there are several small things that need to be taken down from top shelves (Affiliate Link). To help them stay on the ground, I found some grabber bars on Amazon (Affiliate Link) (affiliate). Be sure it is easy to move and not too heavy.

Bathrooms are a hazardous place for older adults.

They can easily fall while doing a simple routine (Affiliate Link). Some items, like shower bars(affiliate), shower seats(affiliate), and toilet bars(affiliate), should be secured and fastened to the wall.  Bars for the toilets also help them get up and down quickly.  If you don't know how to install the bars, get a handyman to do it for you. They need to be in studs to ensure they can hold the weight of the person using them.

Installing grips on the tub floor and maybe even removing the tub and replacing it with a shower with a sliding door may work better for them. This type of method works well with people who have knee or hip issues.

Laundry baskets may be challenging to get into, especially if they are deep.

If your elderly parent has issues bending, looking for a better laundry basket (Affiliate Link) will help them with the day-to-day laundry chores. Use cloth laundry baskets(affiliate) that either attach to the basket or can hang from wall hooks nicely. Shallow laundry baskets stored on a secure dresser are helpful when they can't bend too much. Some laundry baskets also have detachable bag inserts, making it easy for the parent to carry to get washed.

Getting in and out of bed can be an issue.

Getting in and out of bed may be problematic if they have leg or hip issues. Look for things like bed rails(affiliate) or support they can use on the side of their bed.

Check the pieces of furniture (Affiliate Link) around their bed. Are they too close to the bed? Will they injure themselves if they fall?

Also, check the floor. Rugs (Affiliate Link) with no non-grip backing can be an easy trip hazard when getting in and out of bed. Look for rugs (Affiliate Link) with non-grip backing to help prevent a fall(affiliate).

Some kitchen items need replacing.

Kitchens can be tricky for older adults. You can shadow them around the kitchen when they are cooking and observe where they place the most used items. Are they at eye level, or are they reaching to get an item? Rearranging the items they use most often will keep them on the floor and prevent them from accidently injuring themselves.

If they like to cook, you may want to check their kitchen pots and pans(affiliate) to ensure they are located in an easy-to-access area where they do not have to reach to get to their kitchen. They may also be too heavy to use, so swapping them out for a lighter version may be a good idea too.

Dining room chairs and stools near islands can be an issue for your senior parent. Ensure they are not too heavy to move, too high, or blocking a walking area. If a chair (Affiliate Link) is too heavy, add furniture felt pads(affiliate) under the feet to help it glide a little better.

Lower Cabinet Drawers work better for older adults. If you don't have drawers, you can swap them out by either doing it yourself or hiring a company, like Mr. Handyman, to help install the right sturdy drawers.

Some older adults have issues holding plates and forks.

If the plates, glasses, and forks fall and break, it could be a hazard for your loved one. Swap out their plates, forks, and glasses for ones that are easier to handle. We found that smaller, lighter glasses are more accessible to hold than large glasses for people with smaller hands or arthritis. Thin handles on coffee mugs also help with easy grip.

Are your senior parents ready for an emergency or weather issue?

Your senior parent may be unprepared for the power going out, a flood or other weather-related issues. So, now is the time to visit these emergencies and create a preparedness backup system and process. Visit my posts about this topic below for more in-depth hacks and tips.

Keep Parents Hydrated.

Many elderly people do not drink enough water to stay hydrated. They may also need that extra water to help them digest their medicine. Add easy-to-hold small pitchers of water(affiliate) to their bedroom, living room, and any other place not near a water source.

We ordered a Water Cooler Dispenser that filtered the tap water to dispense filtered water to my father in his room. It allowed him to be independent and was able to get his water.

Install Internet-connected security cameras.

If you set up internet-connected security cameras, you can see your loved one from a distance to check out what they are doing. It's good to have one at the front and back doors, but you may also want one on the patio or porch area if they like to go outside.

If your parent is OK with it, having one in a discrete spot in the kitchen and stairs may be helpful.

Getting a medical alert can also help your loved one. The 24/7 help
with ADT Medical Alert Systems in an emergency works excellent for a family's peace of mind.

Install proper lighting

There could be areas that you don't realize how dark they are in your senior parent's home until you investigate. By going around the home and checking closets, hallways, and basements, you can note the areas that need a little more light. Some areas that will probably need more light are:

• If they live in a townhome or an older row home, the steps and hallway.
• The walk-in closet in their bedroom usually needs more light if they have an older home.
• The basement steps and basement storage area usually need more light as well.
• A header room or closet will probably need more light as well.

Ceiling cast lighting(affiliate) works well for these rooms. If there is an outlet in the area, you can use a wired lighting fixture(affiliate) that can be attached to the ceiling. To reduce tripping issues, move the cord by attaching it to the ceiling and side wall near the outlet.

You can also buy battery-operated lights(affiliate) for smaller rooms. These lights work well for a while, but be sure to check them every few months to make sure they are still working. The batteries in these lights can burn out quickly.

Outside safety

The outside of the house may be an issue for your parents if there are steps and other obstacles they may encounter when entering their home. Some areas to look at are the railings walking up or down steps to get inside, the walkway around the house, and the backyard deck or patio. Check to ensure there are no tripping hazards like chipped walkways they may step on while walking to the mailbox, and checking that the door closes properly and locks correctly is essential, too. A damaged deck board can also be a hazard for tripping. Walking around the home and inside and out the doors will help you easily spot these issues.

Keeping your parents' paperwork and valuables secure is essential.

Protecting their valuables and identity is critical if people come in and out of the home. Getting them a wall-safe to hold all their valuables and important documents and a good-quality shredder with crosscuts will be very helpful. Remind them to shred their credit card offers and other private mail quickly. 

On our walk recently, we found several private W-2s and other paperwork thrown on the road from a recent trash pickup. We picked up the items and returned them to the person's mailbox. Hopefully, they got them shredded now. It's a reality we should all be aware of; throwing things away doesn't mean they are destroyed. Private Social Security numbers must be protected, and if they wish to get rid of their old tax paperwork, they must shred them for the best possible protection.

I hope this list of items helps you and your parents stay safe. Remember, create a list of areas to update over time to pace yourself and remind yourself what is next on the to-do list.

Do you have additional ideas you would like to share? Please leave your thoughts in the comments below. Feel free to share with your family and friends. Visit our other post that has even more tips: Incredibly Easy Tips for Organizing An Older Adult's Home

Need more ideas to keep your senior safe in their home? Visit some of these posts for more tips:

8 Ways to Help Your Aging Parents

18 Signs Your Aging Parent Needs Help

If you want to visit our other downsizing posts for seniors, click here.