In the Home

  • Ensure the number of your house is clearly visible from the street and well lit at night
  • If you live in a rural area and don’t have a visible house number, make sure your name is on your mailbox and keep a clear description of directions to your home (main roads, landmarks, etc.) by each phone in your house.
  • Ensure you have a first aid kit and know where it’s kept
  • Create a list of emergency contacts/numbers near all phones
  • Have a seat at the entrance of your home to remove and put on shoe

Fire & Hazardous Materials

  • Have a smoke detector on every floor of your home
  • Test smoke detectors every 6 months (a good way to remember is to test when you turn clocks forward or back for daylight savings)
  • Have a carbon monoxide detector in your home
  • Resister yourself on your apartment building’s fire safety plan
  • Clearly label and properly store flammable and hazardous materials
  • When using a space heater, place it well away from flammable substances and materials
  • Use power bars to prevent overloading electrical outlets
  • Do you live in an older home? Have an electrician inspect your wiring, fuse box, electrical cords, and appliances for safety

Bathroom

  • Test the water temperature before getting into the bathtub or shower
  • Ensure the hot water tank temperature is set to  the recommended 49 degrees Celsius (120 Fahrenheit)
  • Use non slip surfaces in the tub and shower
  • Secure bath mats next to the tub or shower with rubberized backing or are secured in place
  • Install a night light in the bathroom
  • Install a well anchored grab bar and raised toilet seat if you have any trouble getting on and off the toilet
  • Consider using a bath seat if it’s difficult to shower standing up

Kitchen

  • Store pots, pans, canned goods, and staple foods in easy to reach places (between knee and shoulder height) for easy access
  • Store heavy items in lower cabinets/low to the ground and light items in the higher cupboards
  • Use a stepstool (with a safety rail) for reaching high places
  • Ensure the ‘off’ and ‘on’ positions on the stove dials are clearly marked
  • Store oven mitts within easy reach when you are cooking
  • Never cook while wearing loose fit clothing or sleepwear
  • Mount a fire extinguisher in the kitchen away from the stove
  • Regularly check that your fire extinguisher is in good operating order and not expired

Bedroom

  • Make sure there is a light switch near the entrance of your bedroom
  • Have a lamp or light switch near your bed
  • Keep night lights or other sources of light on in case you get up in the night
  • Keep the path from the bedroom to the bathroom clear at all times
  • Have a phone and list of emergency contacts near your bed
  • Make sure your bed is not too high or low, so that it is easy to get in and out of it
  • Consider purchasing or renting short bed rails to steady yourself when getting out of bed

Garage/Basement/Workroom

  • Ensure your workroom and laundry room are well lit
  • If you use your basement, keep a telephone and list of emergency phone numbers
  • Keep floors and benches clean to reduce fire and tripping hazards
  • Ensure tools and service equipment are in good condition and keep safety locks on
  • Ensure your work area is well ventilated year round
  • Keep heavy items on lower shelves/cupboards
  • Use a ladder or stable step stool when reaching high places
  • Clearly identify chemicals such as bleach, cleaners, and paint thinners
  • Store flammable materials as indicated by the directions on the label and away from heat and flame sources
  • Store propane outside of the house

Childproofing

  • Remove items from lower surfaces to prevent breakage, injury, and spills
  • Store medications and pill boxes out of reach of children (Child resistant caps are not childproof)
  • Store household products and chemicals (such as cleaning products, paint, paint thinners, alcohol) in a locked cupboard out of the reach of children
  • Store cosmetic products (such as nail polish remover, creams, mouthwash, perfume) out of the reach of children
  • Store small objects out of the sight and reach of younger children to prevent choking
  • Install safety catches on cupboards and medicine cabinet doors
  • Store lighters, matches, and candles out of sight and reach of children
  • Install a safety latch on your stove and dishwasher
  • Keep extension, telephone, and blind cords out of children’s way
  • Lock garages and workshops with deadbolts high on the doors
  •  If you have a pool, or if there’s one in the building where you live, exercise extreme vigilance. Make sure the pool is absolutely off-limits to children by installing safety devices on house doors leading to the pool and a very high latch on the pool fence gates

Fall Prevention

  • Ensure rooms, hallways, and doorways are well lit
  • Remove reading glasses when using the stairs
  • Secure rugs in place or consider removing them to prevent slipping/falls
  • Do not store things on the stairs, even temporarily
  • Consider installing railings/grip bars and traction (textured surface) on outdoor stairs, pathways, and decks
  • To help avoid taking a misstep, you can paint wooden or concrete steps with a strip of contrasting colour on the edge of each step or on the top and bottom steps.
  • Ensure entrances have an outdoor light
  • Ensure the front steps and walkways around your house are in good repair and free of clutter, snow, and leaves
  • Ensure you can reach your mailbox safely

Scam Prevention

  • Be careful of door to door sales people or telemarketing. Do not allow yourself to be pushed into buying something you don’t really need or want. Take a day to think about it. Read the contract, ask the salesperson to explain all the costs involved
  • Shop around – always get a minimum of three estimates on major purchases or service contracts
  • Be wary of something for nothing or get rich quick schemes. If it sounds too good to be true it probably is a scam
  • Direct Deposit – Have regular cheques sent to your bank via direct deposit
  • Automated Teller – When using automated teller machines (ATM) be aware of who is around you. Do not make it obvious that you are taking out cas

Adapting your Home

  • Lighting and Switches – rocker switches are easier to use, and dimmer switches allow you to change the level of lighting
  • Electrical Outlets – adding more outlets prevents overloading or having to run electrical cords that may cause tripping
  • Door sills – you may want to reduce or remove door sills (uneven surface) to prevent tripping or falling
  • Doorknobs – you may want to replace knobs with lever handles for easier use
  • Stairs – stair backs should be closed in and handrails should be firmly anchored on both sides of the stairway extending beyond the top and bottom steps
  • Flooring – use non glare, slip resistant flooring material and use the same floor surface in different home areas to eliminate uneven surfaces
  • Shelving – add lower level shelves between counter tops and cupboards and in pantries and closets, as well as use sliding shelves and lazy susans in corners

Keep Yourself Healthy & Active

Nutrition 

  • Eat a variety of foods from each food group every day
  • Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables
  • Choose whole grain and enriched products
  • Choose lower fat foods and milk products
  • Select leaner meats, poultry, and fish as well as dried peas, beans, and lentils
  • Eat at regular times – skipping meals can cause weakness and dizziness

Healthy eating promotes a healthy heart, strong bones and good resistance to infection and injury

Physical Activity 

  • Schedule regular check ups and talk to your doctor about increasing your physical activity
  • Make sure to have regular and appropriate physical activity that stimulates your muscles and heart
  • Choose physical activity whenever you can (walk instead of drive or use the stairs instead of the elevator if you are able)

Even when physical activity starts in later life, it can lead to significant improvements in your health and quality of life. Choose activities that will build your endurance, increase your flexibility and improve your strength and balance

Medication Safety

  • Talk to your health care professional about alternatives to medication (Medication may not always be the best solution) 
  • Tell your doctors and pharmacist about all of the medicine you’re taking (prescription, over-the-counter or herbal) as well as your use of alcohol and/or tobacco?
  • Read instructions on each of your medication containers to check for side effects or possible ill effects of combining medications
  • Take your medication exactly as prescribes and know any alternative instructions of you forget to take it
  • Have a list of what medications you are currently taking and make sure your family is aware of them
  • Wear a bracelet or necklace to identify if you have medication allergies
  • Use only one pharmacy for all your prescription needs
  • Go through your medicine cabinet and discard any medicines that are past their ‘best before’ date
  • Ask for and obtain all the information and side effects whenever you get a new medicine

Don’t mix drugs and alcohol. Alcohol can react with many common medications, including tranquillizers, sleeping pills, cold or allergy medicines, high blood pressure pills and pain medication

If your medication causes dizziness or sleepiness, adjust your activities so your aren’t at risk of falling

Safety Aids

Walking Aids

Canes

  • Ensure cane is the right height and inspect the rubber tips for wear
  • Wrist straps can be used to prevent dropping
  • Clips can be attached to the cane to help it hang on the edge of tables or walkers
  • Spikes (with 4 or 5 prongs) can be fit over the end of a cane for extra grip on icy days (flip spikes up or take them off when in stores and malls to prevent slipping)

Safety Soles – anti skid detachable soles with studded tread to make walking in winter safer

  • Safest design is full sole that runs the entire length of the shoe
  • Take soles off when walking indoors as they slip on floor surfaces

Appropriate Footwear – comfortable shoes that provide good support to help prevent falls

  • Lower heels are easier on your feet and back and are more stable
  • Elastic laces can help makes laced shoes easier to get on and off
  • *Easy on shoes and slippers can be dangerous and slippery

Kitchen Aids

  • Automatic shut off – a feature on many appliances (kettles, irons, electric frying pan, toaster oven) that turns the appliance off once it has been idle for a few minutes, eliminating risk of fire
  • Large handle utensils – allow for better grip
  • Pot stabilizers – wire frame that keeps pots from spinning while stirring contents
  • Pot watchers – small ceramic disks that insert into a pot to prevent boiling over
  • Stepladders – using a stepladder decreases risk of fall and injury
  • Reachers – many have suction cups, grips, or magnets to ensure a firm grip on objects

Memory Aids

  • Write down information
  • Use pictures on containers and cupboards to label contents
  • Pill organizers for medications
  • Talking clocks
  • Vibrating watches