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Small adjustments can make big changes in homes of the elderly

University Relations
News Bureau (662) 325-3442
Contact: Melanie Alford
Feb. 15, 2000

STARKVILLE, Miss.-While elderly family members or neighbors living alone often are susceptible to commonplace hazards, small changes within a residence can make their lives easier and safer.

"Since mobility, vision and hearing can become limited later in life, the location of light switches, door knobs and outlets can be rearranged slightly to be used more efficiently," observes Michael A. Berk, an associate professor of architecture at Mississippi State University.

Often the source of accidents, bathrooms and kitchens can easily be modified. Both rooms should have flooring of non-slippery surfaces.

Berk says a bathroom "cannot have too many grab bars and handles" to help a person easily navigate. Showers should be equipped with seats and shower curtains replaced by heavy-duty doors. All bathroom doors should swing outward, since, in the event of a fall, the victim might block the door, preventing assistance.

In the kitchen, greater accessibility can be achieved by replacing knobs on faucets and cabinets with handles or levers and, when possible, lowering upper cabinets. Plugging surge protectors into existing outlets can provide an inexpensive way to make electrical connections easier to reach.

Among Berk's other recommendations:

--Keep residences uncluttered and simple.

--Provide emergency cut-off switches for lights, stoves and ovens.

--Lower the hot-water temperature in water heaters.

--In extreme cases, install emergency call buttons at strategic locations throughout a residence.