When you get older, walking becomes less safe, falls are more frequent, you gradually lose your autonomy. Some people prefer to join a specialized structure, others want more than anything to stay at home. Here are some rules for living at home safely.

1. We start with the kitchen

On average, renovating your home to adapt to the loss of autonomy costs 4.800 euros. It’s expensive, but the sum quickly pays for itself when you know that a retirement home costs at least € 2.000 per month! Home accidents often happen in the kitchen, so here are some rules to keep yourself safe.

Place the electrical outlets at the level of the worktop so that you no longer have to bend over. Place your oven at chest height and your sink at hip height. Prefer gas induction hobs. Remember to secure a fire extinguisher handy. All heavy objects will be stored in the lower cupboards to avoid accidents when opening the cupboard. No longer climb on a chair to grab things: everything must be within reach.

2. To avoid falling

From the age of 65, we are no longer safe from falls and some lead directly to the emergency room. This is the reason why you should avoid anything that can make you fall: a non-slip mat, visible and poorly secured electrical wires, extension cords lying around…

It is even possible to install a non-slip strip on the edge of each of the steps of your staircase if you need to go upstairs. 

3. In the bedroom

First and foremost, you should avoid rooms overloaded with furniture or knick-knacks. Objects lying around are also opportunities for falls. Clear access to windows and radiators. Prefer electric shutters. As for the bed, it is better to choose a firm mattress, at knee height : this avoids too much effort to lie down or get up. 

Near the bed, everything you need to avoid getting up at night: a phone, a little water, and why not a pierced chair. Traveling at night to get to the toilet can be the occasion of a fall because we are not in possession of all our reflexes. 

4. In the bathroom

The bathroom and toilet time can become a place and time of stress for an elderly person who is no longer quite sure of his actions. Too bad, a hot shower should, on the contrary, be the occasion for a comforting break.

Install a non-slip mat in front of the shower and in the shower. In the shower, use a thermostatic shower head to avoid any risk of burns. For more comfort, you can also position a booster seat on the toilet bowl and grab bars near the toilet and in the shower. 

5. Everything at the same level

Sometimes it is the house or the location of the apartment that is no longer suitable. If you can install a bedroom and a bathroom on the ground floor, you will be really reassured not to have to go up and down stairs several times a day.

If your building is well laid out and your elevator doesn’t break down, so much the better! If not, this may be the time to move to an apartment on the ground floor, even if it means changing your habits and benchmarks. It can be a difficult time to live but sometimes necessary, even beneficial, for your daily safety.

Maylis Choné

Read also: The top 10 domestic accidents