34 - Friday, July 26, 1985 - North Shore News Make your home safe for everyone HOME MEANS safety for most people, a refuge where one can relax and unwind. But in contrast to its ap- ple-pie image, the home is the scene of most accidents. Burns and falls, fcr instance, occur more at home than anywhere else. It is the elder- ly who are most vulnerable. Six out of ten fatal fails in Canada happen to the over-65 age group. Senior citizens are three times as likely to need hospital treatment after a fall. These falls stem from a variety of causes. Eyesight, ‘balance, hearing, coordina- tion are a few abilities which the aging process can impair. The older person can also be prone to dizziness or fainting spells, or be affected by medication. Any one of these factors can result in a fall. Safety Check The home itself is a fac- tor, too. If you are caring for an older person or if you are one, take a close look at your home. Watch for any potential hazards. Are all the rooms and hallways well lit? Can you easily reach kitchen items like dishes, food, pots and pans — without having to climb on a chair? What about stairways? They should have secure railings, and these should -be used all the time. Furniture arrangement -should allow convenient wide walkways through each room. No. sharp corners should be exposed. Night lights in bedrooms and bathrooms are a_ wise precaution and any fire hazards should be eliminated. Carpeting is especially important in the home en- vironment for the elderly. Avoid scatter rugs. Instead, choose non-skid rugs or mats. Rugs should not have any loose edges and stair carpeting must be secure. In individual rooms, carpeting with low dense pile is easier to walk on than thick, plush carpet. If possible, carpeting color should contrast with the furniture color tones to help distinguish them. Pay particular attention to the bathroom. This is where many accidents take place among the elderly. Bathrooms are full of slick hard surfaces that pose real hazards, For an older person, sim- ply climbing out of the bath or shower can be a problem. Hand rails by the tub and toilet are ideal safety measures. Be sure that the tub has a non-slip surface, a rubber mat or decals on the bottom. Non-Slip Carpeting On the bathroom floor, use mats with non-slip back- ings. Or consider full carpeting for the bathroom. This is a choice that is becoming increasingly popu- lar now that the elderly’s special needs are being recognized. Safety-proofing the bathroom is a must and carpeting can eliminate the risk of slipping or skidding ona wet floor. With new advances in carpets, the dampness and mildew that used to make bathroom carpeting imprac- tical are no Jonger problems. Carpet materials can now stand up to these demands. Man-made fibres like acrylic and nylon won't mildew and the many pat- terns and colors available can brighten up the room as well as offering protection. It’s easier, too, to run a vacuum cleaner over a bathroom carpet instead of scrubbing and waxing a tile floor Special Deals Home accidents aren't the only area in which the older population is more vulner- able. Home economists warn of the dangers of carpet- cleaning firms which depend on telephone solicitation, ‘Watch out for calls from people claiming to have ‘special offers’ on carpet cleaning — two rooms for the price of one, for exam- ple,’’ says one home economist. ‘‘They usually jack up the price by insisting that you need certain ‘extras’ which in fact aren't neces- sary.”* Aside .from such. ques- tionable sales tactics, these firms are frequently un- professional. To be safe, check any firm’s reputation by contacting the Beiter Business Bureau in their area or the Canada Carpet Clean- ing Institute, 280 Albert St., Suite 502, Ottawa, Ontario M8P 5G8. 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