Safety and security are top of mind for older adults and their families. There have been many recent stories of seniors at risk from identity theft, financial scams and household accidents. As we age, homes need to be adapted for safety with ramps, railings, and grab bars. Safety at home can be enhanced by relocating washers and dryers to the main living area, eliminating scatter rugs, and extension cords, upgrading smoke detectors, and installing alarms.

Here are a few other safety concerns to be aware of:

• Wandering and getting lost
• Kitchen fires that occur when one forgets something is cooking on the stovetop
• Slip-and-fall accidents
• Door-to-door scams that target seniors for home repairs and fake fundraisers
• Car accidents caused by declining flexibility or vision issues
• Medication mistakes that range from accidentally taking too much or too little, or not taking it at all

Finally, some safety concerns are the result of poor nutrition (e.g., falls or a flare up of a chronic disease) due to difficulty with grocery shopping and meal preparation. If more than one or two of these worries could be used to describe a senior you care about, it might be time to consider the support of assisted living or memory care communities, like Richfield Living.