The kitchen is one of the most dangerous rooms in any home. When you think about all of the dangers that are in this space—like sharp objects, water, electricity, gas, choking hazards, and more—it makes sense why the kitchen is considered to be a dangerous place. Especially if you have young children or older adults living with you, you’ll want to do everything you can to make sure that they are safe in the kitchen.
So to help you in doing this, here are three tips for making the kitchen safer for your elderly loved one.
Be Cognizant Of The Lighting
Having adequate lighting in a kitchen is going to make it a safer place for everyone. It will make it possible for them to find what they are looking for, see clearly what they are cutting or cooking, and help them recognize any hazards that there might be in the kitchen.
While you don’t need your home kitchen to be as well lit as an assisted living facility, you should have lighting options that make it so things on the stove, around the sink, and on the countertops can easily be seen. Additionally, you may want to remove any steel surfaces or work surfaces that reflect light, as this can sometimes make it hard to see things clearly for older people.
Update Their Smoke Detectors
Although anyone can forget that they put something in the oven or cooking on the stove, if you’re relying solely on an old smoke alarm to alert you if a fire or smoke is in the kitchen, older people who are hard of hearing might have a difficult time being alerted to this.
With this in mind, it’s wise to update the smoke detectors in your elderly loved one’s kitchen. In addition to having a smoke detector that makes a sound, you can also get one that has flashing lights to draw even more attention, especially if you’re worried about them being able to hear a traditional smoke alarm.
Rearrange Shelves and Cupboards
For older people, the less they can have to climb up on step stools or reach up high or down low for things, the safer it’s going to be for their bodies. So if you know that your elderly loved one still has items stored in their kitchen on high shelves or down in the back of low cupboards, try to work with them on how to rearrange their shelves and cupboards so that they don’t have to reach so far to get what they need. This might mean having to add new storage options that will make things easier for them to see and reach for without putting their bodies at risk.
If you want your elderly loved one to be as safe as possible when working in their kitchen, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you set this space up correctly for them.
