Keeping Your Home Safe for Residents of All Ages (Part 2 of 4)

Earlier this week, we suggested a few ways to make your home as safe as possible for newborn children—but it’s just as important to keep an eye out for trouble when your little ones are old enough to walk into places they shouldn’t. For some ideas on what to do to keep your home safe for young children, take a look at the list below.

Home Safety for Young Children

• Unplug all electrical appliances when they’re not being used. Keep all cords and wires out of reach. Install covers on all electrical sockets, and use cord holders to keep electrical cords positioned flush against the wall so they cannot be pulled or tripped over.
• Don’t keep chairs or stools positioned close to the stove. Place knob covers on stove knobs, and keep pot and pan handles pointing toward the back of the stove.
• Keep firearms, matches and lighters, medicines, and bottles of alcohol locked up or out of reach.
• Place childproof latches on all accessible drawers and cabinets. Install childproof locks on doors leading to areas of the house where potentially hazardous items are stored, such as sharp objects, power tools, perfumes, hair dryers and straighteners, razors, or gasoline.
• Cover garbage cans or store them somewhere inaccessible to children.
• If you have a swimming pool at home, surround the pool area with climb-proof fencing, and keep the gate secured with a childproof lock.
• Tie window and blind cords so that they are out of reach.
• To prevent tripping or falling, keep halls and stairways well lit and free of toys or other items.
• Make sure that stops are installed in drawers to keep them from being pulled all the way out.
• Install stops and guards on doors to prevent children from pinching or hurting their fingers, and attach colorful stickers to glass doors and windows so that they are not mistaken for open spaces.
• Get rid of any potentially poisonous house plants or position them out of a child’s reach.
• Check that pictures and mirrors are securely attached to the walls, and make sure that all floor rugs are either tacked down or attached to the floor with nonslip pads.

Staying cognizant of potential hazards around the home can go a long way toward keeping the whole family safe—not just those who require supervision. Check back next week for information on how to make sure your home is safe for elderly residents.