By: Retirement Home Insider
In order to keep elderly parents safe, you sometimes have to put extra measures in place for some added support.
If you’re worried about them falling, their forgetfulness, or you’re concerned about strangers taking advantage of them, you’re not alone.
As a former Vice President of Operations in senior living, I’ve helped thousands of seniors stay safe – both physically in the home – as well as safe from outside forces.
To help ease your peace of mind and relieve some of your constant worry, here are some quick & easy ideas to help seniors stay safer in their home and stay healthier longer – along with some advice from someone who’s been there.
We give insider tips on what to look for and what to avoid.
Importantly, most of these items below still allow for some level of independence – but act as a helping hand when nobody is around.
We’ve tried to give a variety of safety options, with a variety of pricing to suit your family’s needs.
If you’re looking for more information to help you care for seniors in your life, there’s a huge amount of free information @ our website Retirement Home Insider.
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Great Value Must Haves To Keep Elderly Parents Safe
Grab Bars & Safety Bars for Showers & Toilets
Easy To Install & Immensely Helpful
Falls occur in two places – bathrooms & bedrooms – places where we spend a lot of our time 😎😎😎.
So it makes sense to concentrate on these areas to provide some added support – because as we all know, some days are better than others.
If you remember nothing else from this article, remember that preventing falls should be Job One in keeping the seniors in your family safe.
Nobody wants to go to a hospital – and falls are the number one reason seniors end up in the ER.
Here are a couple of simple, quick & easy to use options that are immensely helpful because they help seniors with their balance and support their grip.
You’ve probably seen suction grab bars, which come off as cool, but they don’t work for all showers/tubs – and any chance the suctions cups don’t stick is too much of a chance for me. I’d stay away from those options and go with tried and true support.
Best to have them installed unless you can do it yourself.
For shower bars – we recommend a minimum of 3. Put one by the shower head, one to put your foot up on and one where you pull open the shower curtain.
For toilet assistance bars – one 30″ bar beside the toilet seat will be good.
👇👇👇 Our Expert Choices 👇👇👇
Option 1 : Your Price – 2 Black – Strong Grip Stainless Steel Safety Bars For Seniors
Option 2 : Your Price – 2 Sturdy – Chrome Stainless Steel – Safe Grip Grab Bars For Seniors
Option 3 : Your Price – High End Safety Bar – Brushed Nickel – Textured Grip
Option 4: Your Price – Reliable & Adjustable Bathtub Safety Bar For Safe Entry & Exit
LED Motion Sensor Night Lights
Don’t Worry About Finding The Light Switch Anymore!
From going to get a late night snack, to heading to the washroom, we get up a lot during the night.
Sensor lights help guide your senses when you’re in a rush during the night (we’ve all been there!), or when your brain isn’t quite firing on all cylinders because we’re still half asleep.
Motion lights should be placed strategically near doorways, beside the bed, hallways to kitchen, hallways to bathroom.
These can be tucked away – virtually unseen – if you’re worried about decor, or they can be stylish additions to your walls – but helpful stylish decor!
Lots of places you can put them: the walls on the path to the bathroom, a wall in the bathroom, the walls on the path to the kitchen, and under cabinet but above counter, in the kitchen. Finally, along the stairs is an excellent option as well.
Several things to remember here – warm, dim lights are best – you don’t want disruptive glare. Also, you can set for sensitivity (so pets don’t set it off) and time it for around 30-60 seconds. Finally, you want these placed about 2-3 feet from the floor.
Battery supported is probably best, or you may wish to add a few outlets to make sure the path from the bed to bathroom, and bed to the kitchen are covered. You can connect to bluetooth or wifi – not my fav combination when the power goes out AND you have no lights…..
👇👇👇 Our Expert Choices 👇👇👇
Option 1 : Your Price – Warm Indoor Stair Lighting – LED Sensor – Up to 40″W – Light Up 8 Stairs!!
Option 2 : Your Price – 6 Pack Black Warm White Lights – Walls/Staircases/Kitchen – Stick On
Option 3 : Your Price – Black LED Motion Sensor Indoor Lights – Stairs/Kitchen Cabinet/Walls
Option 4 : Your Price – 2 Pk – Under Cabinet/Bathroom White Motion Strip Lights – Rechargeable
Option 5 : Your Price – 2 Black – Olde Fashioned Outdoor Motion Sensor Lights – Wall Mount – Waterproof
Extra-Large Digital Clock with Day & Date
Day & Date Are Important – Weather Display Is An Important Bonus
There’s a large range of products here – we love ones that add the weather, since the weather seems more important to us the older we get.
Retro ones are neat, and may add a level of familiarity for your loved one.
Stay away from non traditional numbered formats – like it should say “Jan 10 2025”, instead of “1/10/2025”. You can usually adjust these settings but not always.
Also – get one that looks clean on the screen – not cluttered – or with too much information. Otherwise the screen gets too confusing.
Last point here – make sure you get a clock that displays what day of week it is with the time – it really helps seniors feel grounded when they wake up.
👇👇👇 Our Expert Choices 👇👇👇
Option 1 : Your Price – Large Screen 10″ Simple Digital Clock With Multiple Custom Alarms
Option 2 : Your Price – Beautiful Large Format Day Hub – Clock & Daily Reminder Display!!
Option 3 : Your Price – Easy Set Up Rustic Brown – 8″ Large Digital Clock – Customizable Alarms
Slip-Resistant Bath Mats
Look For Low Pile & Low Edge To Reduce Tripping Hazards
These are easy, but helpful additions, designed to give both comfort & safety at the same time.
These mats are available in all sorts of sizes and colors to match your existing decor.
If you don’t care about decor, then the choice will be easier to make 😊.
Look for mats that are larger in size – or span across more of your floor. Your peripheral eyesight picks up larger objects, meaning less opportunity to trip on the edge.
Place these mats strategically by the sink and by the shower entrance. The ones around the toilet get dirty quick and probably not necessary.
You want a mat inside the shower as well. Almost all come in cool colors, are washable, and have non slip coating.
👇👇👇 Our Expert Choices 👇👇👇
Option 1 : Your Price – Soft Rubber Bathroom Tub Mats – Super Grip Suction Cups
Option 2 : Your Price – Extra Thin Bath Mat – Classic Black Diamond Pattern – Washable – Super Absorbent
Option 3 : Your Price – Beautiful & Stylish Padoor Waffle Bath Mat – Soft Cream/Grey 2′ x 4′
Option 4 : Your Price – Huge Shower Mat With Soft Loofah Foot Scrubber – Quick Dry
Option 5 : Your Price – Extra Long Bathtub Mat – 332 Suctions Cups!! – Gentle Grey
Important Safety and Comfort Upgrades To Keep Elderly Parents Safe
Weekly Pill Organizer with Alarm
One Of The Most Important Things You Can Help With – Consistent Pill Dosing
Having been in the field in operations in senior living, I can tell you that a consistent medication routine, is vital to helping your loved one regulate their body.
You use dispensers not only as reminders, but you use them to make sure you keep poor medical conditions at bay so you can function as well as possible – especially if no one else is around.
You probably want 2 types of dispensers here, depending on your medication needs. You can go simple – one for regular daily use or travel purpose, or you can go with dispensers that have helpful reminders and lockout mechanisms.
If you’re afraid of forgetfulness, or possible overdosing, I’d recommend going with one that has a lockout mechanism – so you can only take the pills you’re supposed to take.
Finally – the longer you can portion out your medications and vitamins (for example 28 days instead of just a week), the better.
👇👇👇 Our Expert Choices 👇👇👇
Option 1 : Your Price – Stylish Black – 14 Day Pill Dispenser – Child Proof – Discreet
Option 2 : Your Price – Easy To Use – 28 Day – LCD – Key Lock – Light Up – Auto Dispenser with Sound Alerts!
Option 3 : Your Price – Compact Travel Pill Organizer – Airtight – Organized – Simple To Use
Option 4 : Your Price – 28 Day Med Smart Pill Dispenser – Friendly Voice Reminders – One Of Best On Market
Adjustable Shower Chair with Back Support
Awesome Added Support In A Slippery Environment
You want added support when you shower as you get older. Shower chairs should be easy to move, comfortable and sturdy – no shortcuts here.
If you have a tub, make sure you measure the width so they fit well. You may wish to buy one that can be installed into the wall so they flip up.
For portable chairs, get ones with arms, a back rest and a good weight allowance. Adjustable is ok – but you want it taller rather than shorter.
Shower chairs can work especially well in larger walk in showers.
👇👇👇 Our Expert Choices 👇👇👇
Option 1 : Your Price – 360 Degree Swivel Shower Chair – Strong & Sturdy – Back Rest – Moveable
Option 2 : Your Price – Classic Shower Chair – Anti – Slip – Portable
Option 3 : Your Price – Comfy Shower Chair – Easy to Use – Adjustable
Raised Toilet Seat with Handles
Getting Up Is The Hardest Part! (Pardon the Pun 😁)
Easily one of the most helpful items to buy for seniors, is a raised toilet seat.
We’ve all been there when getting up starts with a groan. The higher up you sit – the easier it is to get up!
Just because it’s a raised toilet seat – doesn’t mean they have to look the part – some styles you’ll see look like they come straight from a hospital 😒😒😒
If you don’t want to buy a new raised toilet, use seats that fit over top – especially because they are portable. With portable toilet seats, look for one that comes off easily for quick cleaning.
Seats that have arms are best, as well as products that actually resemble a toilet seat.
Life Pro Tip: Elongated fronts and closed fronts are a better options for men 😁
👇👇👇 Our Expert Choices 👇👇👇
Option 1 : Your Price – Raised – Comfortable Toilet Chair – Sturdy Support Arms – Portable – Safety Chair
Option 2 : Your Price – Assurance – Full Comfort Toilet Chair – Designed For Seniors – Elongated Front
4 Critical Things You Need To Know About Retirement Home Leases
Smart Video Doorbell with Two-Way Audio
Buy The Smart Doorbells – Not The Dumb Ones!
Seriously, nobody likes to answer the door nowadays – the comedian Sebastian Maniscalco has a great bit on this.
For families, smart doorbells help alleviate many of the concerns about strangers interacting with the friendly seniors in your family.
The two way audio is key here. You need to be able to go back and forth – sometimes it might just be with your loved one if they can’t find their keys.
Helpful hints on your purchase here: 1 – Make sure you get/have lots of cloud/internal storage in case you’re not around and want to go back a couple weeks to review an interaction. 2 – Get more than one – don’t forget about the back or garage doors. 3 – Make sure you get one that deals with both 2.4GH networks as well as 5G networks. The cheaper ones sometimes ONLY work on 2.4ghz wifi.
👇👇👇 Our Expert Choices 👇👇👇
Option 1 – Your Price – Ultra HD – 3D Motion Detection – 2 Way Audio – 180 Day Battery Doorbell Camera
Option 2 – Your Price – Smart Doorbell Camera – 180 Degree Head To Toe – No Monthly Fee – Night Vision
Option 3 – Your Price – High Security – 360 Pan & Tilt – 2 Cameras – 2k Color – Night Vision
Portable Induction Cooktop
Reduce Fire Risk For When You’re Not Around
Induction cooktops may be a way to still allow cooking independently in the home but reduce fire risk and gas leaks.
As you probably know, you can touch induction stoves without burning – which vastly increases the safety of cooking for seniors.
They come in lots of different options, but we prefer ones that have an automatic shutoff, are easy to clean and have 2 burners.
You also have the option of putting these overtop of existing stoves, which can be a clever approach to getting a “new stove” without replacing your existing stove.
👇👇👇 Our Expert Choices 👇👇👇
Option 1 – Your Price – Salton Portable Double Burner – 10 Levels – 100% Canadian Owned & Operated
Option 2 – Your Price – Aobosi – Ultra Thin – Double Burner – 10 Temps – 1800W – Safety Lock
Option 3 – Your Price – Highly Rated – Gasland – Easy To Use – Double Burner – Sensor Touch Control
7 (And 1/2) Great Questions For Retirement Home Executive Directors
Higher End Solutions For Everyday Concerns To Keep Elderly Parents Safe
Medical Alert System with GPS
Seniors Almost Never Push Their Pendants
Life Pro Tip: Seniors very rarely actually push a pendant in an emergency.
That’s right. You see commercials on pendants, every retirement or assisted living community has this as a “feature”, and on the surface, this seems like an easy way to find some peace of mind.
Three things get in the way from seniors using the traditional “push pendant” technology – of which tens of thousands of seniors have – but almost never use.
1 – They don’t remember they have it. They forget for a variety of reasons – but shock of a fall, or sudden illness, clouds thinking.
2 – They aren’t able to press it. Sometimes the fall or illness reduces motor skills, cognitive function, or they’ve just fallen in a way that doesn’t allow them to press it.
3 – They don’t want to trouble anyone. We used to hear this all the time. This generation of seniors are highly independent in nature, and even though they need help – they don’t want acknowledge it or trouble anyone. They think they can get up themselves – they just need some time.
If you get a Medic Alert system, go for the falls detection and/or 2 way communication.
You have 2 ways to go – and both can work depending on your situation: Wearables or Monitoring.
Most of these devices have a monthly subscription cost – so it’s important to be aware of that.
For wearables, try to get a watch – most seniors dislike the obvious clunky pendant on a necklace (however I did include one below as an option).
Note – if your family member doesn’t like the way it looks – they won’t wear it. Young or old, we like to hide our frailties.
For monitoring, 2 way communication is a must have. A lot of people are also rightly concerned about privacy – so technology that shows stick figures and/or 3D renderings is the way to go.
Though the falls technology is not perfect and sometimes alarms more than necessary, it can give some worry free comfort.
👇👇👇 Our Expert Choices 👇👇👇
Option 1 – Your Price – Elderly Fall Alert – Stylish Smart Watch – GPS – HD Video Call – Waterproof
Option 2 – Your Price – Nomo – Smart Wireless Fall Detection – In Home Monitoring Device
Option 3 – Your Price – Medical Alert Fall Detection Pendant – GPS – 2 Way Coms – Water Resistant
New Retirement Homes vs Old Retirement Homes – Your Free Guide To Help You Make the Right Choice
Adjustable Beds
Talk About A Game Changer!
These beds solve a lot of concerns for when you get older, especially for couples when they need to sleep in different postions.
Individual settings are nice and the ability to raise your head or feet is the real safety enhancer.
Sometimes we don’t feel well – and our balance is even worse at those moments. These are great for elderly parents who want to get up without assistance.
Great for climbing in, but especially out, of bed.
Great for elevating injuries or if your loved one has circulation issues.
Great for adjusting firmness for back issues.
Not all come with a mattress – so read the fine print – but most memory/gel foam mattresses can be adapted to these frames.
👇👇👇 Our Expert Choices 👇👇👇
Option 1 – Your Price – Flexisoft – Adjustable Queen Bed – Easy Set Up – Zero Gravity – Anti Snore
Option 2 – Your Price – Split King Adjustable Bed Frame – Massage – Night Light – EZ Setup
Option 3 – Your Price – SweetCrispy – Ergonomic Adjustable Queen Frame – Zero Gravity – Wireless – Reclines
Option 4 – Your Price – Mamma Mia! Blissful Nights Queen Bed & Frame – Gel Infused Memory Foam
Lift Recliner Chairs
Chairs That Rise Are A Staple In Senior Living
They come in all sorts of types. You want easy to clean – but hard to stain (avoid linen – trust me on this!).
Our general rule is the fewer the complexities – the less there is to break 😊. Almost all have a cup holder or USB outlets – but not really necessary – you just want comfort and ease of use.
For instance, elevating the head first, helps seniors orient themselves before getting out of a chair, especially if they’ve had their feet up.
Again – these chairs will help prevent falls, if your loved one has circulation and/or blood pressure issues, or simply need to elevate an injury.
Consider one with a higher neck rest to avoid head rest issues.
👇👇👇 Our Expert Choices 👇👇👇
Option 1 – Your Price – Stylish Cream Colored Power Chair – Petite – Adjustable Headrest – Dual Heating
Option 2 – Your Price –Smart Electric Power Lift & Recliner Chair – Massage/Heat – Dark Brown
Option 3 – Your Price – Extra Wide – Ergonomic Power Chair – Overstuffed – Breathable Leather
Option 4 – Your Price – Whoa! Modern Double Love Seat Power Lift Chair – Leather Grain – Reclines
The (1/2) Helpful Idea Before You Go….
A Home Safety Assessment
Many local companies offer home safety assessments to identify potential hazards and recommend solutions.
Some insurance providers or community programs offer them for free! Your local government websites can help get you pointed in the right direction.
Overall, it’s never a bad idea to get a fresh set of eyes to take a look at your living space – you don’t have to act on their suggestions.
Overall, they may give you better ideas and thoughts on what to do depending on your loved one’s specific needs.
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