Survey Finds Home Safety Issues a Difficult Subject to Approach with Seniors

Home Safety Council

Research Reveals Safety Insights of Those Caring for an Older Adult

New research commissioned by national nonprofit Home Safety Council and conducted by Harris Interactive found that many caregivers have difficulty discussing critical home safety issues with older adults—a situation that may be placing an already high-injury age group at even greater risk.

These findings are a result of a new Home Safety Council survey, released as part of the Council’s Home Safety Month campaign launching in June. The survey, which was commissioned to better understand caregiver home safety perceptions, attitudes and behaviors when caring for an older adult, polled adults currently providing care for a relative, in-law or friend who is 60 years or older.

The study findings point to a difficulty in communications about this topic, with half of caregivers (49 percent) citing that injury prevention is at least somewhat hard to talk about with the person they care for. Also, of the one in two caregivers who admit there are additional actions that could be taken to make the home of the person they were caring for safer, 26 percent said that they worry about the reaction of the older adult as a primary reason for not taking these actions.

"Each year more than 7,000 older adults die from incidents at home including falls, fires/burns and poisonings, which are almost entirely avoidable with proper education and some simple home modifications,” said Dr. Angela Mickalide, Director of Education and Outreach of the Home Safety Council. “As our population ages, more and more adults will need assistance. It is critical that caregivers have meaningful discussions with those that they care for and help fix potential home dangers to keep loved ones safe in and around their homes.”
 
Additional findings suggest a substantial home safety awareness gap among caregivers. Many believe that their elder’s home provides a safe environment, even though 48 percent also report that the person they care for has been injured within the home. Many of the reported injuries were serious, requiring an emergency room or hospital visit (40 percent) or hospital stay (21 percent).

“While safety can be a sensitive topic as we age, caregivers cannot ignore the fact that a home injury can be a life-altering experience, not only for those injured but for those who care for them,” said Home Safety Council president Meri-K Appy. “Basic home safety precautions can keep all family members safe and ultimately ensure more older adults continue to live independently for as long as possible in the home they love.”
 
Home Safety Tips for Seniors and their Caregivers

The Home Safety Council advises caregivers to apply the same safety practices in their own homes first so that safety improvements are not considered a consequence of aging. The same precautions that can help keep older adults safe in and around their homes can protect the entire family. In response to the key survey findings that show many critical safety precautions are missing in many homes of older adults, the Home Safety Council offers the following safety tips that caregivers can follow in their home, and share with their loved ones.

Falls Prevention

Key Findings: Nearly two in five (38 percent) caregivers surveyed reported that their loved one had experienced a fall at home. The survey also found that many critical falls prevention precautions are missing from many homes, including handrails on both sides of any stairway (62 percent), rugs secured by non-slip backing or adhesive tape (64 percent) and grab bars in the bath or shower (32 percent).

Safety Tips:

• Protect stairs and steps with a secure banister or hand-rail on each side that extends the full length of the stairs.
• Keep all stairways, paths and walkways well lit.
• Install grab bars in bath and shower stalls, and use a non-slip mat or adhesive safety strips inside bathtubs and showers.

Home Fire Safety

Key Findings: While the new HSC survey found that most of the homes of older recipients of care have working smoke alarms (86 percent), only one in three (35 percent) caregivers said their loved ones had a home fire escape plan.

Safety Tips:

• Install smoke alarms on every level of your home and test them monthly. When possible, use choose alarms that use wireless technology or are hard-wired to the electrical system to make them interconnected (when one alarm goes off, they all do). Consider installing a home fire sprinkler system if you build or remodel a home.
• Develop a fire escape plan for your family that identifies two exits out of every room, who will provide assistance to children and others who will need help, and where to meet outside. Practice makes perfect—hold a fire drill at least twice each year with every member of your household.
• Keep your water heater setting at 120 degrees Fahrenheit or less.

Poison Prevention

Key Findings: Nearly one in 10 caregivers reported that their loved one had experienced a poisoning incident at home, most frequently from taking the wrong type of medication (8 percent). However, about half (48 percent) report that important emergency numbers, including the Poison Control Hotline number, are posted next to every phone. Also only two in five (38 percent) report having a carbon monoxide detector installed in their home.

Safety Tips:

• Use a medications tracker and always follow medication dosages closely.
• Post emergency numbers next to every phone in your home, including the Poison Control Hotline number (1-800-222-1222).
• Install at least one carbon monoxide (CO) detector near sleeping areas.

For more information on ways to avoid injuries and protect loved ones in and around your home, please visit www.homesafetycouncil.org.

The Home Safety Council (HSC) is the only national nonprofit organization solely dedicated to preventing home related injuries that result in nearly 20,000 deaths and 21 million medical visits on average each year. Through national programs, partnerships and the support of volunteers, HSC educates people of all ages to be safer in and around their homes. The Home Safety Council is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization located in Washington, DC.

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