Room-by-Room Guide to Senior Home Safety

Garage Door Locks

Garage doors are easy access points for thieves. In fact, a burglar can break into a home through a garage in just a few minutes. Keep intruders out with these preventative tips or shop for a better garage door to enhance security.

Car Security Devices

Criminals often target older adults. Protect yourself or seniors you know with steering wheel locks and car alarms to deter thieves, and follow these tips about car safety to safeguard cars when they’re parked in public places.

Carbon Monoxide Alarm

Carbon monoxide is deadly; it has no scent or color and accumulates when you burn coal, wood, charcoal, oil, kerosene, propane, and natural gas. If you leave a car running in the garage without ventilation, you can die, but a carbon monoxide alarm will warn you before it’s too late.

Driving Safety Tips

Driving is an important part of independence, but driving ability is a vital conversation to have with your senior family members as they age. Senior driving safety expert Tyler Waugh from Rear View Safety explains, “Everyone ages differently, so while there is no definitive cutoff as to when a person should stop driving, studies show that older adults are more likely to get into accidents than younger drivers. While fatal crashes increase sharply around age seventy, this is due to increased susceptibility to injuries among older drivers. Physical, cognitive, and visual abilities decline as we age. While health issues don’t automatically mean that driving should be stopped, it is an important factor in determining when it is time to find another mode of transportation.”

Since everyone ages at different rates, here are some tips to determine if seniors you know should stop driving. This is a sensitive topic that you should approach with compassion. To learn how to have this important talk, read advice from experts.

Gas Hookups

Gas dryers have gas hookups, which can cause leaks and explosions if they aren’t properly connected. Several times throughout the year, check the lines to ensure they’re properly sealed.

Dryer Lint

In 2010, the National Fire Protection Association reported that washers and dryers caused more than 16,000 fires and almost $240 million in property damage.¹ Of those fires, 92% were caused by dryers.² That’s because when people forget to clean dryer lint out of the trap and exhaust pipes, it heats up and ignites. Seniors should clean lint from their dryers once a month or ask a friend or family member to do it for them.

Stair Lifts

Stairs may become a challenge later in life depending on a senior’s mobility level. If getting around becomes a problem, consider installing a stair lift. While expensive, these systems prevent falls and injuries and can help seniors stay in their homes longer.

Storage Areas

Storage shelving is a great way to stay organized, but don’t go over the weight limit or you could cause an avalanche. Also, don’t ever climb on shelving to reach something, because this could cause a collapse or fall and lead to serious injury.

Computers

Seniors are all too often victims of phishing scams. Jake Schroeder, cybersecurity expert at Medical Guardian, explains, “Many of our senior loved ones didn’t have the benefit of growing up with computers and may not be fully aware of the dangers present in the online world. When you receive a suspicious email or pop-up, it’s always best to stop and take a minute to consider the content. Malicious hackers can take control of your computer when you simply click on a malicious link or open an attachment, so if you receive a suspicious email that you weren’t expecting, it’s best to just delete it.”

Installing malware-fighting software on all home computers also prevents viruses and decreases chances of being hacked.

Mail

The government never requests Social Security numbers, banking information, or credit card numbers through the mail. Seniors who receive mail asking for money or any of this information should throw it in the trash. Also, sign up for the National Do Not Mail List to declutter your mailbox and avoid getting junk mail.

Telephones

It’s alarming when someone calls you claiming you owe them money. It’s also enticing to believe someone who says you won a free trip. Criminals know this and prey on the elderly as easy targets. Those eighty-five and older are at most risk, especially since around 20% have cognitive impairments of some kind.⁵

Seniors should learn the warning signs of fraudulent calls. Hang up if you feel uncomfortable or get a loved one involved if you’re unsure of the validity of a caller. Get caller ID to screen calls from unknown numbers and sign up with the National Do Not Call Registry to prevent telemarketers from calling in the first place.

Rails

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that 2.8 million adults over age sixty-five are admitted to the hospital for fall-related injuries every year.⁶ Once a senior falls, they’re more likely to do it again, so install rails in hallways to avoid broken bones or worse.

Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Carbon monoxide detectors save lives. Install one on every floor in your home—including the basement and garage. If you need help finding the best carbon monoxide detectors, read our guide.

Smoke Detectors

Research conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics and National Fire Incident Reporting System revealed that people sixty-five and older are 2.5 times more likely to die in a fire than any other age group, and people over eighty-five are four times more likely than other demographics to die in fires.⁷ Since over 3,000 people died in structure fires in 2014⁸—and about 60% of them don’t have working smoke alarms⁹—it’s vital for seniors to install smoke detectors.

Smoke detectors work most efficiently when placed in every hallway, outside each bedroom door, and on all floors in the home. There are dozens of models to choose from, but SafeWise researched the top smoke detectors to help our community find the best options.

Fire Escape Ladders

According to the US Census Bureau, mobility issues are the most common disability among people over age sixty-five. In fact, about ten million older people in the US struggle with mobility issues.¹⁰ Seniors who have a difficult time getting around should consider buying a fire escape ladder or permanent fire escape staircase. Making a fire escape plan also helps prepare for events like these and raise the odds for seniors to escape a fire safely.

Bed Rails

Seniors can fall when getting in and out of bed. Instead of running the risk of fall-related injuries, install a bed rail for added stability and safety.

Valuables

Seniors are easy targets for burglars. A home security system keeps burglars out in the first place, but a home safe prevents criminals from taking valuables if they do get into the house.

Medicine

Day-of-the-week pill containers benefit those who take medicine every day—especially seniors. Apps also help remind seniors to take their medication on time and let contacts check in on them virtually to make sure they’re maintaining their health.

Bath Mats

According to the CDC, more than 230,000 people visited emergency rooms in 2008 due to injuries that happened in bathrooms—and 14% were admitted for prolonged hospital stays¹¹The CDC also reports that bathroom injury risk increases with age¹²—and such injuries can cause broken hips, head trauma, and even death. Lay bathmats on bathroom floors to give more traction and prevent slipping.

Accessible Tubs and Showers

Outfitting tubs and showers with handrails and seats makes them safer and easier for older people to bathe. This equipment comes in a variety of designs to help seniors with all levels of mobility. Browse senior shower accessories like benches and stools to make the bathroom a safer place.

Fire Extinguishers

About 50% of all house fires start in the kitchen, based on research by the National Fire Protection Association.¹³ Stop a small fire before it becomes a huge blaze by keeping a fire extinguisher on hand. Read about fire extinguishers in our buyers guide so you can bring the best one home.

Stools

Unless you’re really tall, you probably can’t reach every shelf in your kitchen. Prevent falls in the kitchen with these senior-specific step stools.

GPS Wearables

Seniors with cognitive impairment may become lost and disoriented. GPS wearable devices made for older adults are the best way to prevent this from happening. If a senior is lost, you can log into the app to locate them and send help.

Security Cameras

Home security cameras detect danger before it makes its way inside. Stop a home invasion by installing a home security camera outside your home or on the home of someone you care for.

Ramps

Wheelchair ramps add accessibility to your home and are a safe way for people with disabilities to get around. Find information about wheelchair ramps for your home.

Smart Doorbells

Smart doorbells are a perfect complement to smart locks because they let you see who’s at the door before you open it. Browse smart doorbells if you’re interested in this added security.

Smart Locks

Smart locks operate through apps and can alert the homeowner and contacts if a door is left open—making them ideal for seniors. Shop smart locks to keep track of guests, monitor when people come and go, and prevent break-ins.