safeathome-oc.com Blog

I find it rather comical how I live within my own space. I understand the risk and rate of falls and more importantly the value of living safely. Let’s begin with a typical day in and out of my home – I enter my home by not only climbing up an unmarked curb but I am also welcomed by minimal lighting. If I manage to make it to the front door without a tumble or fall, I am greeted with the ever so dangerous door mat that can flip or move with the occasional gusting southern California winds.

Finally, I have entered. Could I find the good fortune of a table or stand to free my hands, lay my keys, or place my purse – absolutely not! In order for me to find that table I kick my shoes off and navigate over yet another throw rug as I look for the coat closet door knob in the dark foyer. Ah… I am at home; the place where most of us want to be at the end of a very long day.

Now it’s time to do some work on my blog. I grab the laptop, get the fireplace going and get ready to jot down some tips that will inspire people to make changes. I soon realize the laptop battery is dead so I pull the sofa from the wall and lean down towards baseboard to plug in the laptop; I then walk around the dining table and chairs to turn on a dim light that will help with lighting up my work space. Now time to settle in.
Imagine the exhaustion from this one task – settling in for the day. Life can be much more peaceful and safe with minor adjustments and heightened awareness. Here are some quick and easy changes you can do to make life at home more enjoyable:

Entries:
As you enter your home there should be one entry point where you can enter without taking a step up or down. This can be accomplished by a small and gradual grade to meet the door frame through a general contractor.

Lighting:
Be aware of the lighting for commonly used entry points. For visitors consider sensor lights for the front walking path and front door. If your typical entry point is the garage, ensure auto lighting is available for you to clearly see walking areas and entrance points. A Safe at Home favorite is Lutron Maestro Wireless system that allows our clients to illuminate the interior and exterior of their home from the comfort of their car.

Electrical Outlets:
With electrical outlets remember the real estate mantra – location, location, location. Do you have to move furniture or items out of the way to plug things in? If the answer is yes, consider having someone help you reorganize your furniture or add additional outlets that are the appropriate height and placement. I recommend having electrical outlets 18” from the floor to minimize bending and increase accessibility.

Now, time for me to change my space and take some of my advice.

This post was written by Kathryn Andrews, Safety Engineer with Safe at Home. Kathryn has over 15 years of experience in consulting, training and assessing safety hazards. Kathryn Andrews is Certified Aging in Place trained and a graduate from the USC Home Modification program. If you would like more information about Safe at Home, please contact (949) 303-9193 or visit, www.safeathome-oc.com

I recently attended a baby shower in a beautiful Anaheim Hills home.  The party was hosted  by two baby boomers that have embraced all the luxuries a home could offer. Unfortunately, the weather was unusually bad – it was raining non-stop. The street was flooded. That caused me to step out into a rolling river of water as I got out of my car. I dashed across the road to find myself leaping up several sets of slick stairs that offered little differentiation to when one step ended and another began. I finally reached the entry way that greeted me by a precarious set of beach towels that had been thrown on the tile floor to help soak up all the water.

I was trying to enjoy myself but noticed that my attention was on each guest as they skipped or stepped over the towels to dry their shoes or umbrellas from the rain. The party was so much fun and reminded me of the life moments that bring visitors into our homes. To ensure your safety and the safety of those who enter your home during wet weather, remember these three easy tips:

1.       Reduce the risk of slipping when entering

Direct traffic to a stop point where there is a protective overhang or shelter that is well lit to allow people to dry whatever they are carrying. This is the place for your visitors to dry their glasses, gather their bearings or remove their rain coat or store their umbrella. Funny side story – so as we entered the party, we were wet from head to toe. We greeted people with wet hair and hands and speckled glasses. A place to gather bearing for guests is such as nice and safe touch.

2.       A step-on mat with a nonslip base is best for high traffic areas

I am not a big fan of mats because these generally can lead to a trip hazard. However, mats have their place when the weather calls for them. The length of the mat is important to allow shoe soles to dry before stepping onto the floor.  Preferably, an anti-slip bottom mat that is heavy enough to stay firmly placed on the ground is best for preventing trip hazards. This is the part of the party that made me nervous – great grandma walking over a pile of towels.

3.       Umbrella Holder

Place an umbrella stand by the entry way to place any used or wet umbrellas to help control the amount of water on flooring surfaces. You could place a large bucket or pail in place of a fancy umbrella holder. In our case, the entry hallway became the umbrella holder which meant rain water all over the floor.

Unless I missed it after I left the big celebrations, no one was injured from falling.