The Advantage Home Health Solutions team would like to wish you all a very happy Halloween! We’d also like to wish everyone who will be partaking in Halloween festivities tonight a very safe evening. As you’re well aware, the annual tradition of trick-or-treating involves the opening of your front doors to people who are mostly complete strangers.
Of course, pretty much everyone who may visit you tonight will be a youngster looking for free candy. Nevertheless, it’s always wise to take some safety precautions. This is especially important if you live with an elderly loved one. Although children and their parents don’t pose a threat, on Halloween, constant knocking from masked visitors can still be considered intimidating.
Here are three Halloween safety tips for seniors:
1. Keep trick-or-treaters outside.
It’s commonplace to have trick-or-treaters receive their treats on the front porch. There are some Halloween enthusiasts, however, who like to invite guests into their homes for haunted house experiences. With a senior in your home, it’s best to skip that tradition. Keep all of your guests outside to maximize the safety of everyone in your home.
“Never invite trick-or-treaters inside, hand out treats on your steps or front porch only,” insists CapeMEDex.com, “If someone asks to use your bathroom or phone, don’t even consider this as an option unless you have a bunch of adults present in the home with you. Protecting your home means drawing a line and the front door is a good place to do just that.”
2. Keep your elderly love one occupied.
If the senior in your home is not one for Halloween, it’s best to keep him/her occupied with something else so that all of your visitors don’t become a nuisance tonight. Firstly, it may be wise to have a younger member of the household stay by the front door to avoid constant ringing of your doorbell. Secondly, as Certified Senior Advisor, Pati Rader suggests on her website, keep your elderly loved one busy.
“Watch (a) movie or listen to music in another room away from front door if possible,” she writes, “Be prepared; books, albums, crafts, favourite foods, etc. to enjoy and distract…Remember Halloween may not be a happy time for elderly with Dementia and may be scary, or create added stimulation from doorbell, knocks, noise outside. Be sensitive to what they can tolerate and do your best to keep them safe and enjoy the evening with you.”
3. Keep the home free of tripping hazards.
Tonight is a night when many homes will be decorated with such items as cobwebs, skeletons, jack-o-lanterns, black cats, ghosts, ghouls and goblins. With a senior in your home, it’s best to ensure that none of your decorations are in places where they can cause someone to trip and fall. CapeMEDex.com also reminds us to be mindful of fire hazards.
“Keep any open flames, or candle lit pumpkins away from walkways or stairs where costume tails or capes could come in contact with them,” advises the website, “Also remove any decorations from footpaths that could pose a tripping hazard for trick-or-treaters.”
At Advantage Home Health Solutions, we care a great deal about the safety of seniors. As a result, we proudly offer a wide array of mobility solutions to help optimize their safety. For more information, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at 403-460-5438. You may also email us by filling out the form on our Contact page!
