Home Safety Tips

At 180 Medical, we believe it’s important to implement safety practices in your home to prevent injury and illness. Here are a few easy home safety tips to help you make your home safer and healthier!

Basic Home Safety Tips

• Keep a first aid kit ready with bandages, antibiotic ointment, and other essentials in case of minor injury or cuts.
• Install smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms to alert you when there is a danger of fire or gas in your home.
• Consider keeping a fire extinguisher on every level of your home to quickly extinguish small fires.
• Keep your bed’s height around 22 inches to make it easier to get in and out.
• Store flashlights and candles in easy-to-reach spots of your home, like your nightstand or end table drawers, in case of power outages.
• Install adequate lighting for comfort and safety to reduce the chance of tripping.
• Ensure all floor rugs are secured with a non-skid pad, or remove them from the house.
• Install nightlights in dark areas like hallways or even the bathroom to help avoid falls in the night.
• Keep your telephone near your bed in case of emergency. All telephones in the home should have emergency phone numbers posted nearby.
• Throw away and replace any extension cords or appliances with electrical cords that may be frayed or worn.
• Be sure to never overload extension cords or electrical outlets.

Kitchen Safety Tips

• Keep a stable step stool for reaching items out of arm’s length. Better yet, keep the items you use most in easy-to-reach places between eye and knee level.
• Never cook on an open flame like a gas stove while wearing loose clothing.
• Always use oven mitts, potholders, and other aids instead of touching hot kitchenware from the stove, oven, or microwave.
• Ensure all indicators for your stove, oven, toaster oven, grill, and other appliances are always on “OFF” when not in use.
• Wear dish gloves if washing dishes in hot, soapy water to reduce the chance of scalding your hands.
• Always wash your hands after handling raw meat.
• Keep your pantry and cabinets organized to prevent items from falling and breaking.

Bathroom Safety Tips

• Keep your bathroom clutter-free, especially the floor, and only use rugs with non-skid backing to reduce the chance of falling.
• To avoid slipping, the bathtub or bottom of your shower should have a textured surface or a non-skid mat.
• Consider installing grab bars to assist in transferring to and from the bathtub, shower, and toilet area.
• Keep appliances with electrical cords put away to minimize the risk of tripping.
• Reduce the risk of electric shock by never using any electrical appliances (including plugged-in tablets or phones) while in the shower or bath tub.
• If you have dizziness or reduced mobility, consider using a shower chair or transfer bench to help you stay safe while bathing and moving in and out of the shower.
• Avoid scalds and burns by leaving your water heater at 120 degrees Fahrenheit or below.

Health Safety Tips

• Always wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water regularly, especially after using the bathroom, coughing, or sneezing.
• Be sure to check the expiration dates on all food in your house and toss out anything that has expired.
• Also, dispose of any expired medicine, including prescription and over-the-counter drugs.
• Never borrow prescription items from others, including drugs, intermittent catheters, etc.

Disclaimer
This page is intended only to provide an understanding of potential actions that may provide safety from trips, falls, and other risks. You assume all responsibility and risk for the use of the safety resources available on or through this web page. 180 Medical does not assume any liability for the information and opinions available on this web page. This should not be taken as medical advice.