Home Safety and Safety Issues

 

Safety issues while caring for an older family member at home can be deceptive. If you have lived in your home for a long time, you get used to things as they are. You may not notice safety hazards. And, you may not think about the home environment in terms of safety.

But for frail older adults, and especially those with Alzheimer's Disease and dementia, everyday things can be hazards.

 

 

 

Easy Access Medical Information

A similar product is an improvement on the MedicAlert bracelets that have been used for years. Now, detailed health histories are stored on a keychain size Med-InfoChip USB drive that uses its own database. When plugged into a computer, the patient or family member can input pertinent medical data. Information on doctors, family history, family and emergency contacts, allergies, medications and insurance coverage are some of the types of information that may be stored. Digital copies of x-rays and EKG reports may also be stored. Medical workers can easily see the files by plugging the drive into a computer. The Med-InfoChip has various megabytes of memory depending on cost, with ranges from $70-$100.

 

 

Falls

Falls are a frequent occurrence in the home. An older adult may incur more damage from a fall than a younger person, and may take longer time to recover. Be sure to identify the potential for falls to occur.

 

 

Global Positioning Devices

Caregivers might also benefit from the advances in Global Positioning Devices (GPS). Wherify Wireless offers a very small GPS phone that allows a caregiver to call a toll-free number or to log onto the Internet and immediately locate the phone. The website will show a map with the exact position of the phone. This is especially useful for those with Alzheimer's or dementia but could be used as a safety feature for anyone.

Purchasing the phone and payment of a monthly fee would be necessary. Other companies may offer similar products.

 

 

Home Safety Checklists

Several caregiver websites have developed extensive home checklists to help you identify potential hazards. To follow are links to sites that offer such a checklist. Print out the checklist and thoroughly check your home for hazards. With a small amount of effort on your part, you could save your older family member serious harm.

 

The National Institute on Aging offers a booklet called "Home Safety for People With Alzheimer's Disease". The goal of the booklet is to "improve home safety by identifying potential problems in the home and offering possible solutions to help prevent accidents". They provide an extensive checklist of potential hazards along with remedies/solutions.

 

National Resource Center
on Supportive Housing and Home Modification
The National Resource Center on Supportive Housing and Home Modification works to make supportive housing and home modification a more integral component of successful aging, long-term care, preventive health, and the development of elder-friendly communities. It is a university-based, non-profit organization funded by The Archstone Foundation and The California Endowment.

 

 

Medical Alert Systems
(Personal Emergency Response Systems)

Medical Alert Systems offer your older family member the opportunity to easily call for help. For a monthly fee, you will receive a wearable unit that has a button to push for help. A central monitoring location fields any calls for help. They will call pre-arranged numbers automatically. It might be 911, then a relative, then a neighbor. Or it might be a neighbor, then the sheriff, then 911. The monitoring location might be local or it might be a national clearinghouse. When you decide which program to use, ask about location, response time, and cost. Many hospitals offer this service as do local for-profit companies. Your local aging agency or caregiver specialist will be able to help you find suitable companies to choose from.

 

 

NC Resources

Lifeline Southern Orange	UNC Hospital Department of Volunteer Services	919-966-4793
Lifeline Northern Orange	Durham Regional Hospital	919-470-8555
Lifeline Western Orange	Alamance County General Hospital	336-538-7000
Lifeline	Resources for Seniors	919-872-7933
Lifeline	Rex Hospital	919-784-4535
Wakelink	WakeMed Hospital, Volunteer Services	919-350-7746

 

Another similar program is the "Vial of Life" program. Older adults keep a bottle in their refrigerator with a list of medications they are taking in case paramedics are needed and the senior lives alone and is unable to speak.

If you are unsure if your county offers such a program(s), contact your local Sheriff, County Emergency Management, or local hospital.

 

 

Hypothermia

Family caregivers may live in the home of the person they are caring for or they may live elsewhere. For those caregivers who do not live with their family member, it is important to be sure that the person needing care has sufficient heat during the winter and has the means to keep cool in the summer. A person who is sick or frail is especially susceptible to problems that may occur when he or she gets too cold or too hot. Medications may have an impact on the body's ability to regulate temperature as well.

Hypothermia occurs when a person's normal body temperature drops from 98.6 degrees to 95 degrees.

The US Administration on Aging gives these recommendations:

• Look for the "umbles" - stumbles, mumbles, fumbles, and grumbles. Muscles and nerves may be affected by the cold.
• Keep a thermometer on hand. If your family member's temperature is 96 degrees or lower, call 911 for emergency assistance. Immediately warm the person with clothing, blankets, and/or your own body temperature as you wait for medical help. Gently rub the arms and legs, but remember that an older person's skin may be easily damaged.
• Make sure the home stays warm enough. The thermostat should be at least 68 degrees. Older family members, especially those on medications, may be subject to hypothermia with temperatures even slightly less than 68 degrees.

 

Remember, hypothermia may happen outside the home as well. Be sure to encourage your family member to dress appropriately for the weather when going out on a cold day.

 

What Help is Available to Pay for Heating Bills?

The first thing to do is to evaluate the current living situation. Is there anything that can be done to make the home more energy efficient? Many power and gas companies offer a free service where a trained professional will come and show you where your home is losing heat. They will also make recommendations on how you might be able to fix the problem(s). If a fireplace is available, remember that burning wood may actually draw heat from the room and out of the chimney. It may be best to seal the fireplace. Ask the professional who evaluates the home for his or her advice.

Check the insulation. Is there any? Is it enough? Do the windows or doors need replacing. Some local aging providers offer a Home Improvement program that may or may not help cover some of these type of expenses. Check with your local Area Agency on Aging for contact information.

Perhaps heating only the rooms that are used would help. Close heating vents and doors to rooms that aren't used. Make sure the basement door is closed. Sometimes hanging a blanket in a doorway without a door works to keep heat in and cold out.

Think twice before encouraging the use of kerosene or space heaters or wood stoves. If not properly attended, any one of these heat sources could cause a fire. People on certain medications that make them groggy, forgetful, dizzy, or sleepy should never be responsible for caring for these types of heat sources. If you, the caregiver, live in the home and are willing and able to responsibly care for a woodstove, some areas have agencies that provide free wood. Check with your local aging agency. Your Area Agency on Aging will have contact information.

 

 

If your family member is living on a limited income, financial help may be available to pay heating bills. Assistance may be through the federal government, state programs, local agencies, or gas and electric companies.

• Federal Programs
  Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program
  a federally-funded program to help eligible low income households meet their home heating and/or cooling needs.

  

  Find This Program in My State

  
  
  
• State Programs
  Energy Assistance varies from state to state. Contact your state aging agency to find out what is available in your state.
  
  
  

  Find My State Aging Agency

  
  
  
• Gas and Electric Companies
  Some utility companies offer varying levels of assistance to those in need. For some it may be reduced rates. For others, a subsidy program may be offered through a state agency. In other cases, the power company may decide to not cut off service to a senior citizen or an older person with severe medical problems if they are unable to pay their bill. If you are having difficulty paying your gas or power company bill, call customer assistance and inquire about what remedies they may have available.

If this is too overwhelming for you to do on your own, contact a local caregiver specialist for personalized assistance.

 

Are you worried that your landlord may want to cut off the gas or electricity in cold weather if you cannot pay a utility bill?

Many states and cities now have laws to protect you, at least until other plans are made. Do not wait for winter to find out about these programs. Check with your local government about the laws that may apply where you live. To connect to your state's website, find the link on your state page of this website.

Find My State Page

 

 

Heat Stroke or Hyperthermia

Being in heat for too long can cause a variety of responses, all grouped under the name hyperthermia. All are serious and should be addressed quickly.

The most serious is heat stroke. Heat stroke may be life threatening. Action must begin immediately. Begin steps to cool the person by removing clothing, fan them, move them to a cooler spot, re-hydrate, cool them with water - do whatever can be done quickly and then call for medical assistance.

Signs of heat stroke:

fainting a body temperature over 104° F a change in behavior - confusion, being grouchy, acting strangely, or staggering; acting delirious dry flushed skin with a strong rapid pulse or a slow weak pulse not sweating, despite the heat coma

 

Most people who experience hyperthermia are over fifty years of age. Health problems may put a person at higher risk.

For more detailed information including who is at risk, what to do if hyperthermia is suspected, and how to lower the risk of hyperthermia, the following links are offered.

 

If your family member is living on a limited income, financial help may be available to pay electric bills. Assistance may be through the federal government, state programs, local agencies, or the local electric company. The same programs that are available to pay heating bills (see Hypothermia above) may also be available to help with electric bills to keep your family member cool.

 

 

 

In North Carolina, many local aging agencies participate in Operation Fan/Heat Relief. Local utility companies donate money for the purchase of fans for older adults in need. The fans are offered at no cost. Check with your Area Agency on Aging for local contact information.

 

 

Outside North Carolina, similar programs may be in place. Contact your Area Agency on Aging for information and availability.

 

 

 

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