Autumn can be dangerous without Arlington assisted living

If you’re a senior living on your own, or your parent is a senior without Arlington assisted living, you know there are certain challenges that can be dangerous. Simply cleaning and maintaining a house is difficult for most of us as we age and lose our physical strength. Objects can fall from high shelves, stools can tumble if we lose our balance, even dust that’s out of reach can build up and cause illness to anyone living in the home. By taking advantage of Arlington assisted living, these types of dangerous chores are no longer a worry. Seniors can rest assured that they aren’t neglecting important responsibilities and know that they aren’t in any danger. We encourage you to visit our Abbington website and set up a tour of our facilities. In the meantime, we wanted to offer some advice to all seniors living alone regarding how to stay safe this fall.

Fall can be a very dangerous season, especially for the elderly. There are more chores to do, more maintenance to be done on the house, more fires in the fireplace and more leaves covering the road. If you aren’t taking advantage of Arlington assisted living just yet, please keep these tips in mind to ensure your safety.

First, be careful on ladders. If you’re outside and using a ladder to trim trees or bushes, you need to make sure you’re not going to fall. The ladder must always be placed on a flat surface. Don’t take any unnecessary risks. If the ground is uneven, it’s not worth it. To make sure you don’t slip off the ladder, wear shoes with exceptional grip and tread. If it’s wet outside, your shoes will be wet and that’s a recipe for disaster. Don’t take that risk either. Wait until it’s dry. When you’re on the ladder obey its warning labels. Do not go higher than the label says. Whether you realize it or not, it’s very difficult to keep your balance on the top couple steps, especially if you’re cutting down branches. Remember, at a Arlington assisted living facility like Abbington, you won’t have to worry about ladder safety.

Second, rake up your fallen leaves. It’s a hassle. It can cause a sore back, but raking up leaves at least from your driveway and walkway is very important to your safety. Leaves make it harder for pedestrians to walk. When they get wet, leaves make hard surfaces slippery, especially uneven surfaces. You don’t want to suffer a fall on your driveway. If you can’t hire a neighbor to rake your leaves, it’s worth doing it yourself.

Third, use extra caution while driving. Fall can make driving dangerous for the same reason it can make your driveway and walkway dangerous. Leaves make surfaces slippery especially after rainfall. Leaves can also be a detriment to your visibility. A winding road through a wooded area will likely be covered in fallen leaves. Sharp turns may be difficult to foresee. Take caution when you cannot clearly see the lines and parameters of the road on which you’re driving.

Finally, be sure to take the proper precautions to prevent a fire in your home. A warm fire is about as good as it gets on a chilly fall day, but it can also be dangerous. Every fireplace should have a protective screen to make sure the fire stays where it belongs. If you’re so comfortable that you nod off, it may be too late to stop a spreading fire by the time you wake up. As long as the screen is firmly in place you should be fine. Also, space heaters and candles can be dangerous. Make sure not to place either of these near curtains or rugs that can easily catch fire. If you leave your home, check all the rooms to make sure you haven’t left any candles burning.

Hopefully these tips will help you stay safe this fall. If you’re ready to be done worrying about things like this, visit an Arlington assisted living facility like Abbington and just enjoy your life.