Home Safety Tips for Aging Seniors in Nebraska | Caretech

The Bathroom: The Most Important Room to Focus on First

Start in the bathroom if there is one room in the house to start with! It is small and wet, and that is where most household falls occur.

Install a grab bar near the toilet and in the shower. This is the one thing you can do that will help you the most. A grab bar provides your special someone with firm support when sitting down, standing up, or stepping into or out of the shower. There is no need for medical decor; there are many fashionable alternatives that fit in with a contemporary bathroom.

Install a shower chair or shower bench. People don’t realize how much energy and balance it takes to stand in the shower for several minutes. A shower seat aids your loved one in showering comfortably and securely so they don’t lose any balance.

Use a nonslip mat on the floor. Wet tiled floors will be very slippery. A bath mat, non-slip, inside and out of the shower/tub, is a worthwhile purchase.

Lift the toilet seat, if necessary. One of the more difficult tasks for seniors who have weak knees or hip issues is to get up from a low-width toilet. A raised toilet seat attachment is a cost-effective and comfortable safety improvement.

The Bedroom: Making Nighttime Safer

Many accidents occur at night while your loved one is up to use the restroom or to get a glass of water.

Install a night light in the bedroom and the hallway. This is a very inexpensive and highly effective remedy. A small night light on the wall by the floor guides the way from the bed to the bathroom without being too obnoxious.

Ensure that the bed is the correct height. If the bed is low, it can be difficult to get in and out, and it can pose a risk of falling. Too high = same issue. Your loved one’s feet should be flat on the ground when in a sitting position on the edge of the bed. It can help to use bed risers or a lower bed frame.

Leave a clear route to the door from the bed. A laundry basket on the floor or a pair of shoes in the dark sounds simple, but it can lead to a serious fall. The bed should be in an open space with an open path between it and the door to the bathroom, which makes it easier for people to get to and from the bedroom at night.

The Kitchen: Small Tweaks, Big Help

Your loved one is likely to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. It also is the place where hot stoves, heavy pots, and high shelves can pose a real problem.

Keep frequently used objects on easily accessed shelves. Items that are used regularly should be stored between the shoulder and the waist, not on the high shelf, as bending may cause discomfort and strain, nor on the lower shelf, where reaching may be hazardous. A kitchen can be made much more efficient by a simple arrangement of the cabinets.

Have a sturdy step stool, or better yet, no step stool at all. When your loved one is always using a step stool to get to something, it’s a red flag that needs to be moved down. If you need to use a step stool, ensure that it has a handle rail and rubber feet. Never have a regular chair.

Inspect the stove knobs. Stove knob covers or auto-shutoff devices may be useful for older adults who may inadvertently leave the stove on. This is particularly beneficial for the beginning of getting a tad bit forgetful.

The Living Room and Hallways: Clearing the Way

The most often used expression following a family member’s fall at home is “They just tripped.” The answer is that there was usually something on the ground, and nine times out of 10, it was whatever.

Roll up or remove loose rugs. A big fall hazard is throwing rugs and small area rugs. They are squeezed, they slide, and the edges snag on their feet and walkers. The best thing to do is to get rid of them. If your loved one or family member truly wants to keep a rug, be sure to use it with non-slip backing and taped edges on all sides.

Rout the cords and cables in. Put cords and cables in their place. Whether you shuffle your feet a bit when you walk or not, it’s easy to trip over power cords that are strewn across a walkway. Run cords along baseboards and out of foot traffic areas.

Make sure hallways and staircases are well lit. Hallway motion lighting is an excellent investment. On stairs, ensure there is a good handrail on one side, preferably both sides.

The Entryway: Nebraska Winters Are No Joke

If you have been living in Nebraska for a while, you know that getting in and out of the house from November to March can be a challenge.

Install a handrail at the front steps if there isn’t one. The steps to the front door and the sidewalk can be slippery and unsafe without anything to hold onto, even two or three steps away. A basic metal or timber handrail will make a huge difference.

Place a non-slip mat in and out of the door. It traps moisture from boots and shoes, so your special loved one isn’t stuck in the shoes when he steps inside.

Have a sturdy chair by the door. Sitting while putting shoes or boots on or taking them off eliminates the need to balance on one foot to get on and off the boot, which is a common cause of stumbling.

These Changes Work Even Better with a Little Extra Help

Home changes go a long way. But they work even better when paired with a caring set of hands checking in each day.

At Caretech, our caregivers do more than just help with personal care, they’re also an extra set of eyes in the home. They notice when a rug is bunching up, when the lighting seems dim, or when your loved one seems less steady on their feet than usual. That kind of daily attention is something a grab bar can’t provide on its own.

Our personal care services cover the hands-on help your loved one needs with bathing, dressing, and getting around safely. Our companion care keeps them company and keeps them engaged. And for families who need more coverage, we offer 24-hour home care so someone is always there.

Whether your loved one needs help just a few hours a week or full-time support, Caretech is here for families across Nebraska — from Omaha and Lincoln to Scottsbluff, North Platte, and everywhere in between. See all of our services here.

A Few More Things Worth Checking Around the House

Once you’ve gone room by room, here are a few extra things to look at:

• Smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors
  — Test them. Replace the batteries. Make sure your loved one can actually hear them from their bedroom.
• Medications
  — Keep them organized and in a visible, easy-to-access spot. A weekly pill organizer is a small thing that prevents a lot of confusion.
• Phone accessibility
  — Make sure your loved one can always reach a phone, especially at night. A cell phone on the nightstand or a medical alert device can be a real lifesaver.
• Clear outdoor pathways
  — If possible, keep the walkway from the car to the front door clear of leaves, snow, and ice. This is especially important for families in Omaha, Lincoln, and other Nebraska cities where winter conditions can linger.

The Goal Isn’t to Make the House Look Different. It’s to Keep Your Loved One in It.

Aging safely at home isn’t about turning a family home into something clinical or strange. It’s about making small, thoughtful adjustments so that the person you love can keep waking up in their own bed, in their own neighborhood, surrounded by the things and people that matter to them. At Caretech, we believe everyone deserves to age with dignity—and that means staying home for as long as it’s safe and comfortable to do so. We’re here to help make that happen, with care that feels like family.
If you’d like to learn more about how Caretech can support your loved one at home, we’d love to talk. Visit our website for more information.