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Home Safety
Home Alone—How to Be Safe
Have you ever worried about the safety of your elderly parents
or a disabled friend who lives alone? Have you worried what
would happen in a medical emergency or fire? Or have you fallen
yourself and were not able to get up?
I fell down in my kitchen once and wasn't able to get back
up, while a kettle whistled away on my stove. Eventually I
pulled the telephone down off the wall by its cord and called
911. It made me realize that I didn't have any safety measures
in place. Do you? Well, now is the time to devise an emergency
plan using these few simple tricks:
Enter the cellular telephone—nothing
could be simpler. Cellular phones have greatly come down in
price. If you or a loved one has a mobility impairment, buy
a cellular telephone (many are free with a monthly service
charge) and keep it on your person at all times, with a list
of emergency phone numbers taped to the back because it's
difficult to remember telephone numbers during a crisis. It
could save your life.
Remember to charge your cellular phone every couple of days
or it'll be useless to you. Try to get one with a speed-dialing
feature and program it with 911 and the numbers of three neighbors
or friends—only those who could come over within a few
minutes. .
If you can't afford a cellular telephone and run the risk
of falling, keep a regular telephone on the floor. If you
have a TTY, program it with emergency telephone numbers also
or keep a list.
And here's another great idea! ADT Security Systems
now offers a type of portable hot button for emergencies anywhere
called Mobile 911. For a one-time $49.00 charge, users carry
an electronic panic button that corresponds with a 911 operator
any time, 24 hours a day. In an emergency, the device has
only one red button to press, versus a cellular telephone—with
a power button, possibly a pin number, and then a telephone
number. When your signal is received, help is sent out immediately.
Visit www.adt.com
or call 1(877) 259-8439.
Distribute extra house keys.
Give keys to your emergency contacts because you can't open
the door for them if you're unable to get up from the floor
or injured in the bathroom.
Reposition locks. We never
think about this until it's too late—how to get a door
unlocked when trapped on the floor. If this is a possible
scenario, call a locksmith and have a deadbolt lock put in
a foot above the floor. Keep this locked only from the inside—use
your regular lock when you leave.
Smoke alarms, carbon-monoxide detectors,
and fire extinguishers. Make sure you have one of each
and keep the batteries charged and the fire extinguisher current.
If you are deaf or hard-of-hearing, make sure you have an
adequate alerting device for
your smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detector.
A plan to get out alive. There
is very little time (usually only one to two minutes) to escape
a burning building during a fire, especially because of smoke
inhalation. Everyone needs to have a plan to get out alive—that
is a preplanned escape route customized to his or her home.
A plan minimizes time thinking about what to do during the
real thing. McDonald's Corporation offers a valuable videotape
educating viewers how to devise a personal fire safety plan.
Call McDonald's Educational Resource Center at 1 (800) 627-7646.
It costs $9.40 plus $3.70 S/H.
Emergency mobility device.
If fallen, you may require an unconventional set of wheels
to move to safety. I suggest a type of dolly or palette on
wheels, such as what an auto mechanic uses to slide under
a car. These are available at auto supply stores and home
repair centers, such as Sears, Home Depot and the Great Ace.
Lifeline is a paid,
24-hour emergency response system. Consumers wear a pendant
with a button that directly corresponds with the service,
using a two-way talking device. However, you don't have to
be able to speak; just press the button and Lifeline
will send appropriate help. Consumers are encouraged to call
often just to check in or chat; it's not just for emergencies.
The service is also multilingual. Call 1(800) 447-6467 for
details.
Make sure to place anti-slip rubber decals on the
bathtub or shower floor to prevent slips and falls. There
is also an anti-slip treatment that can be applied
directly to your tub or shower called TubSafe®. It's only
costs about $12.00; see: http://www.stopslipping.com
Small bathroom rugs are dangerous and should be avoided
completely.
Another important consideration for home safety is making
sure one is secure in one's bed. Adapted beds protect
sleepers from rolling off or even becoming trapped. Adapted
beds offer various features that help. English Avenue Industries
manufactures SleepSafe/SleepSafer beds: www.sleepsafebed.com.
For pediatric furniture, hospital cribs and youth/age appropriate
beds, visit
Hard Manufacturing at www.hardmfg.com,
email at currier@hardmfg.com,
or call at 1(800) 873-4273 ext 267. Hard Mfg. beds come in
a full spectrum of colors.
Stashing medicine. Again,
if you're at risk for falling or passing out, plant an extra
dose of medicine in each room of your home, e.g. nitroglycerin
tablets for a cardiac condition, inhaler for asthma, or hard
candy for diabetes—whatever is needed for your specific
chronic illness
Security. Protect your home
with adequate window locks against home invaders or burglars.
To protect against theft when not at home, consider getting
a home security system.
All of these safety steps are easy to put into place. Think
carefully about which would be the most helpful for you or
a loved one and get set up while things are quiet. Perhaps
you know of some more safety tips; feel free to share them
with Infinitec visitors by emailing back to me at the link
below. Wishing all of you good health and safety in your homes.
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