Ideas

5 Things you can do right now to make your home safer for everyone

1. Add grab bars to your showers and bath tubs. – To many of us, the word grab bar invokes an ugly, industrial image. But times have changed and manufacturers are now providing an endless array of ”designer” grab bars to fit any décor and any budget. For a great selection, try www.homeclick.com

You might also consider a small (12”) grab bar near the toilet, especially if you have an older, lower toilet.

Please Note: If you plan on doing this work yourself, ALWAYS install the grab bar according the safety instructions enclosed. This means mounted into a stud or a wall block. Severe injury can result if not installed correctly.

2. Install a “comfort height” toilet. Many toilet styles are too low for easy sitting and rising and can be hard on low backs. A comfort height toilet (16 1/2” and over) allows touchdown with less angle in the knees. Better for them and your back. We love Toto toilets (www.totousa.com) and recommend them to all our clients; most other manufacturers now have a wide selection.

3. Remove throw rugs or install non-slip carpet pads under them. where possible they should be tacked down. We know this seems like a no-brainer, but one of our team members recently took a fall in her kitchen, sustaining a back injury that took 2 months to heal, when she tripped over a throw rug in front of her kitchen sink.

4. Evaluate your lighting, particularly around stairs and where kitchen tasks are performed. Often a simple florescent light, purchased at any hardware store for less than $20 can be mounted under cabinets to illuminate counter space. Install night lights to light likely paths used at night – bedroom to kitchen; bedroom to bathroom.

5. Buy a grabber/reacher. Really, this should be Number 1. Consider how often you’ve stood on a chair/stool/box/ladder or some other unsafe item, to grab “just one thing”. Reaching and lifting, especially over our heads, can easily cause back injury, to say nothing of falling off of a ….well you know what you stand on. And just think how much fun for the kids to get things themselves….

We have seen folding models for as little as $5; better quality will cost $25. Try www.independentathome.com