Tips for Seniors to Stay Safe in The Kitchen in Victoria, BC
Uncategorized | October 2, 2020
For many Canadians, the kitchen is the focal point of the home – it is where families have dinners, enjoy holiday meals, and spend time together. This may be one of the reasons we tend to forget that the kitchen can be a hazardous area where accidents commonly happen, especially for aging adults.
With this in mind, if you want to boost safety in mom or dad’s kitchen, consider the following advice:
Fire prevention & safety – Of all the places in the house, fires are most likely to start in the kitchen and the primary cause for this is unattended food. Remind your loved one never to leave the kitchen when the stove or the oven is on. For seniors with memory issues, installing automatic shut-off devices can be a great tool for ensuring safety. As kitchen towels and potholders also present a fire hazard, make sure these items are never placed too close to the stove. In addition to this, get a qualified electrician to inspect wiring and power sockets to confirm everything is in order – this is a common cause of fires in the homes of the elderly.
Foodborne illness prevention – Foodborne illnesses may be a serious issue for older adults because their body is not as strong as it used to be. However, this can be easily addressed by properly storing food, checking the fridge temperatures regularly, reheating leftover foods, as well as checking expiration dates on ingredients before cooking.
Reducing fall risks – Keeping utensils and cooking items within reach and decluttering the counters is critical to maximizing kitchen safety. Anything heavy such as big pots and pans should best be stored at waist level. Another big hazard in the kitchen, just like the bathroom, is water. Spilled water from the sink, pipe leaks, or leaking refrigerators can easily cause a fall. To prevent slippery floors, add mats and check water sources every time you visit mom or dad.
Comfort Keepers Can Help
As much as one-quarter of Canadians over 65 require assistance with various routines like homemaking, meal prep, personal hygiene, and so on. At Comfort Keepers of Victoria, our qualified in-home caregivers can help your loved one with activities of daily living and many other tasks. We can tailor a fully-customized care plan and support physician-prescribed diets and exercise regimens, drive your parent to scheduled appointments, run errands, reduce fall risks, and more.
Call our Victoria office today at 778-402-2175 to discover the benefits of working with Comfort Keepers and ask for your free in-home assessment.
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