home safety
How do I make the home safer without turning it into a hospital?
4 min read
Aim for the smallest change that removes the biggest risk. Falls, fire and scalding are the three that cause the most harm. Good lighting and removing trip hazards do more than any gadget, and a familiar home is itself a safety feature — do not rearrange it.
What to try
- 1Improve lighting everywhere, especially stairs, the hallway and the route to the toilet at night.
- 2Remove rugs, trailing cables and clutter from walking routes.
- 3If cooking has become unsafe, ask about a cooker safety device rather than removing the cooker. For a gas cooker, the gas distribution company can fit a locking valve; which device suits depends on the appliance.
- 4Turn the hot water thermostat down to prevent scalds.
- 5Fit working smoke alarms and test them monthly.
What to avoid
- Rearranging furniture or redecorating. Familiarity is doing real work.
- Removing everything at once, which strips independence faster than the illness does.
- Relying on them remembering a new rule or a new gadget.
Small changes with high value
- Contrasting colours — a coloured toilet seat, a plate that stands out from the table.
- A grab rail by the toilet and in the shower.
- Night lights along the bedroom-to-bathroom route.
- Labels or pictures on cupboard doors.
How this guide was made
Written by
Written independently for Riparo. It is not copied or adapted from any organisation’s material.
Evidence checked
Some key points have been checked against published national dementia guidance; others have not been.
Reviewed by
Not clinically reviewed. No clinician has checked this guide.