Safety in the Home
As the weather gets cooler, we will be likely to spend more time indoors. It is a good time to look at our homes for safety and fall prevention. As the old saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Let’s take time this month to look at our home as if it were the first time we saw it. Sometimes a fresh perspective will show us things we never saw before. Let’s start with the front door. Is there a clear, slip resistant, hard surface walkway to reach it? Is there plenty of bright lighting, preferably on a motion detector? Is the entryway protected from the weather? Is there a package shelf where you can place items while opening the door? Are there full-length sidelights or multiple peep sights so that everyone in the household can see who is at the door before opening it? Is there a zero-step entryway so that people of various abilities can enter easily? If you answered no to any of these questions, you might want to consider making some changes to your entryway. Once inside the door look for lack of lighting and fall hazards as well as other safety issues as you move throughout the home. One of the most common tripping hazards found in homes is loose throw rugs. Loose flooring, particularly at transitions between different flooring types can be another cause for concern. Make sure that there are not trailing extension cords or clutter in walkways that could present a fall hazard. Handrails, grab bars, or other handholds throughout the house can be helpful in preventing falls. Bright, glare free lighting in the home, particular in circulation areas such as hallways and stairs can help prevent falls. Battery powered; motion activated lights are a low-cost way to bring light to dimly lit areas. Most of these hazards can be remedied at little to no cost just by taking the time to address them. If you have a loved one who would benefit from these measures, help them to see the importance of preventative measures. As always, the bathroom is a prime area of concern when it comes to safety and fall prevention. There are many safety concerns in the typical bathroom. The room is too small, the floors are too slippery, the door is too narrow, the lighting is too dim, the controls are too difficult to operate, the tub or shower is difficult to enter, and there are no grab bars or other fall prevention. Think safety first, accessibility second, and convenience third. Grab bars should be included in every bathroom, regardless of the age of the residents. Safety and fall prevention are for everyone. If the flooring is slippery, changing the flooring or adding a slip resistant coating should be a high priority. Widening the door and changing the bathtub to a curbless shower will allow the bathroom to be more accessible to all. Adding lever controls to the doorknob, faucets, shower valve, and other controls will allow those with limited hand strength to access the controls. Adding better lighting will improve safety by making it easier to see. Changing the faucets and shower valves to pressure balancing, positemp controls or lowering the water temperature can help prevent burns, particularly among those with limited feeling in their extremities. I hope these suggestions will help you look at your home with new eyes. If you need help implementing any of these ideas, or any of our other remodeling services, please give us a call at 540-384-2064 or visit our website at www.solidrockenterprises.com.
Safety in the Rock
As I sit down to write this month’s column, many people around me are consumed with fear and the overriding sense of uncertainty of what the days and weeks ahead will look like is palpable. Where do you turn for comfort when uncertainty fills your life? It is precisely during times of crisis and uncertainty that the need for faith in an omnipresent and omniscient God is shown most clearly. It is easy to have faith when the sailing is smooth, the sun is shining, there is money in the bank, and everyone is healthy. When the storm clouds gather, the cupboards and the bank account are bare, and sickness looms we discover whether our faith is strong or anemic. Or maybe you don’t have any faith in anything larger than yourself. Maybe you are one of those people who depends entirely on your own resources to get you through whatever life brings your way. In that case you are definitely facing a crisis when you find yourself face to face with a situation that you have absolutely no power to control. When I was starting my company twenty years ago I named it Solid Rock Enterprises after the scripture in Matthew 7: 24-27 which says, “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” On what foundation is your life built on? Have you had more time on your hands lately to think about it? The Bible says that whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved! Have you also noticed things around your house that need attention lately? Safety in the home is a very real concern. According to the National Council on Aging (NCOA), falls are the leading cause of fatal injury and the most common cause of nonfatal trauma-related hospital admissions among older adults. Falls result in more than 2.8 million injuries treated in emergency departments annually, including over 800,000 hospitalizations and more than 27,000 deaths. Many of these falls are due to environmental hazards within the home. Things like trailing extension cords and clutter can be remedied easily. Other projects require more of an investment but are well worth the expense in increased peace of mind and decreased chance of falling. Here are a few items to consider: Adding grab bars throughout your home in areas of fall risk such as bathrooms, stairways, level changes, and entryways. Adding extra lighting in areas that are poorly lit. Adding motion sensors will assure that the lights are on when you need them. Adding non slip flooring in place of slippery flooring, especially wet areas such as bathrooms, laundry areas, and kitchens. Also adding anti slip treads or tape on stairs can help prevent a nasty fall. Converting a bathtub into a curbless or step in shower can make it easier and safer to bathe. Be sure to incorporate the grab bars mentioned above and possibly a shower seat. If I can help with any of these or other home safety modifications, please give me a call at 540-384-2064
Fall is in the Air
It is September. While we will probably still have some more hot days ahead, cooler weather is just around the corner. Autumn (or fall) officially begins on the Autumnal Equinox which occurs on September 23 this year. This marks the moment in time where the sun is perpendicular to the Earth’s axis and neither the South Pole nor the North Pole is tilted away from the Sun. As the days of Autumn pass by, the North Pole tilts more and more away from the Sun and the weather gets colder. The first day of fall also marks National Fall Prevention Awareness Day. Sponsored by the National Coalition on Aging, the National Falls Prevention Awareness Day was first recognized in 2007 by four states. It is a day to raise awareness of the impact of falls and how to prevent fall related injuries in older adults. Falls and how to prevent them should be a major concern to all of us. To give you an idea of the seriousness of falls, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has published the following facts. One in four Americans aged 65+ falls each year. Every 11 seconds, an older adult is treated in the emergency room for a fall; every 19 minutes, an older adult dies from a fall. Falls are the leading cause of fatal injury and the most common cause of nonfatal trauma-related hospital admissions among older adults. Falls result in more than 2.8 million injuries treated in emergency departments annually, including over 800,000 hospitalizations and more than 27,000 deaths. In 2015, the total cost of fall injuries was $50 billion. Medicare and Medicaid shouldered 75% of these costs. The financial toll for older adult falls is expected to increase as the population ages and may reach $67.7 billion by 2020. The NCOA suggests 6 steps to help prevent a fall. They are: Find a good balance and exercise program – Look to build balance, strength, and flexibility. Talk to your health care provider – Ask for an assessment of your risk of falling. Regularly review your medications with your doctor or pharmacist – Make sure side effects aren’t increasing your risk of falling. Get your vision and hearing checked annually and update your eyeglasses – Your eyes and ears are key to keeping you on your feet. Keep your home safe – Remove tripping hazards, increase lighting, make stairs safe, and install grab bars in key areas. Talk to your family members – Enlist their support in taking simple steps to stay safe. I would suggest that you pay special attention to number five. Environmental hazards within the home account for a large percentage of falls that can lead to injuries that can make it impossible to continue to live independently. If you need help making these changes in your home, please give us a call at 540-556-0650. We have the experience and expertise to make modifications to your home that will increase your safety and comfort and decrease the likelihood of an injury causing fall. We also can perform a comprehensive accessibility and safety assessment that will look at your entire home in the context of keeping you safe and comfortable in it. We then make recommendations on modifications that will improve your home’s safety and accessibility. Please take this month to consider your options and formulate a plan to prevent a fall. You will be glad you did. Remember, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. As always, thank you for reading Housing Matters.
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