A Matter of Life and Death: Home Inspections are Crucial for Seniors

Many seniors nowadays are opting to age in place, so care should be taken to help them avoid injuries such as slips, falls, and burns. The following checklist provides pointers to enable seniors to live at home more safely. Use it to spot possible safety hazards and keep it as a reminder of safe practices to use periodically in re-checking the home.

Safety Tasks:

1. Check all electrical and telephone cords to ensure they are not stretched across walk ways that may cause someone to trip and fall. If you must use an extension cord, place it on the floor against a wall so people cannot trip over it. Check furniture and carpets to make sure they are not resting on electrical cords. Damaged electrical cords present fire or shock hazards.
2. Check electrical outlets and switches. Are any outlets and switches unusually warm or hot to the touch? Unplug cords from outlets and do not use switch until checked by an electrician. Unusually warm or hot outlets or switches may indicate that an unsafe wiring condition exists. Do all outlets and switches have cover plates, so that no wiring is exposed? Exposed wiring presents a shock hazard.
3. Check fuse or breaker panel. Replacing a correct size fuse with a larger size fuse can present a serious fire hazard. If the fuse in the box is rated higher than that intended for the circuit, excessive current will be allowed to flow and possibly overload the outlet and the house wiring to the point that a fire can begin. Be certain the correct-size fuse is being used. If you do not know the correct sizes, consider having an electrician identify and label the size to be used. Typically, most household circuits require only a 15 amp fuse or breaker.
4. Check to make sure light bulbs are the appropriate size and type for the lamp or fixture. A bulb of too high in wattage or the wrong type may lead to fire through overheating. Ceiling fixtures, recessed lights, and “hooded” lamps will trap heat.
5. Check space heaters. Heaters with a three-prong cord should only be used in a grounded, three-pronged outlet. The ground pin should not be removed for use in a two pronged outlet. Make sure the automatic “tip over” feature is working, if the unit is equipped with one. Locate heaters away from passageways and flammable materials such as curtains, rugs, furniture, etc. If the house is equipped with space heaters that use kerosene, natural gas, or propane, make sure to read the operating instructions thoroughly. Non-vented heaters such as these should not be used unless a door or a window is slightly open to provide ventilation. The correct fuel, as recommended by the manufacturer, should always be used. Vented heaters should have proper venting and should be checked frequently.
6. In the kitchen store flammable, combustible items, away from range and oven. Are towels, curtains, and other things that might catch fire, located away from the range?
7. Prevent scalding by installing automatic mixing valves on faucets, showers, and tubs, or an anti-scald mixing valve on your water heater. These mixing valves should be set to allow a hot water temperature of no greater than 49°C (120°F).
8. Check smoke and carbon-monoxide detectors to ensure they are working properly. At least one working smoke detector is needed on every floor of a house. Make sure the detector is near the bedrooms either on the ceiling or six to 12 inches below the ceiling on the wall. There should also be at least one working carbon monoxide detector near the bedrooms. Change the batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors at least once a year or more often if needed.
9. Check all rugs, runners and mats to ensure they are safe. Where needed, apply double-sided carpet tape or rubber matting. Periodically, check rugs to see if new tape or backing is needed. Where possible, remove runners or small throw rugs to avoid tripping hazard altogether.
10. Install grab-bars and non-slip mats in the bathroom. Make sure grab bars are attached to the structural supports of the wall and not just the plaster or drywall, or install bars specifically designed to attach to the sides of the bathtub. Check bathroom outlets. These should be GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interupter) outlets. If not, they should be replaced accordingly and if not working, should be repaired.
11. Make sure stairwells have enough lighting to allow the entire area to be visible. Handrails should be secure. If space permits, install handrails on both sides of the stairwell. Ripped or worn carpeting can lead to insecure footings, resulting in slips or falls. It would be a good idea to install a non-slip material on the treads of painted stairs. Remove all objects from stairway. Seniors can trip over objects left on stairs, particularly in the event of an emergency or fire.