Canadian Health Network

Send this to a friend Print-friendly version What can I do to reduce my risk of injury? What help is available to me in my home? What other resources are available for seniors in my province? Past Articles Subscribe to our Healthlink newsletter

n 2001, the year the most recent Canadian census was taken, people over the age of 80 were the fastest-growing segment of the population. In fact, over the course of the previous decade, their numbers grew by more than 41 per cent. And it is estimated the segment will increase by another 43 per cent by 2011. At that time, there will be about 1.3 million Canadians over the age of 80—and about 15 per cent of the Canadian population will be over the age of 65.

That unprecedented shift in the demographic has loads of implications for everything from the labour force to the health care system—and requires a shift in the way we think about and do things.

Already, more conditions and diseases are dealt with on an outpatient basis and that means that an increasing number of older people are able to stay in their own homes much longer. That is often a good thing: the ability to lead life independently for as long as possible can mean greater quality of life and can alleviate the strain on the health care system.

For seniors to continue to stay in their homes, though, inevitably changes will need to be made to keep them completely safe and accessible.

The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation provides a terrific self-assessment guide called Maintaining Seniors' Independence through Home Adaptations.

Fortunately, short of completely redesigning the home, there are a number of easy steps to take and assistive devices that can help make a house safer and more accessible.

• Lighting
  Most people over the age of 40 know the sad truth that we outlive our perfect vision by many years. Not only does the need for reading glasses increase, but really good lighting gets more and more important as the years go on. In fact, good lighting in all areas of the house decreases the potential for injury. Make sure that you are exploiting the natural light in the house (in other words, keep curtains open during the day) and add more lighting (or increase the wattage of your bulbs, if your fixtures permit) where necessary.
  
  Areas of particular importance include entrances as well as hallways, stairways and work areas, such as the kitchen. Don't forget to keep a nightlight on to help prevent stumbles. (There are also night lights that automatically turn on at dusk and turn off at dawn-perfect for anyone who is out during the day and returns home at night.)
  
  
• Water
  It's an important safety feature for any age but particularly for the oldest and youngest members of the family. According to the Canada Safety Council, about 300 children, seniors and people with disabilities are treated for hot water burns in hospital every year.
  
  Hot water heaters are typically set at 60°C (140°F); at that temperature, water can burn the skin within five seconds. Simply turning the setting down to 49°C (120°F) means it will take fully 10 minutes for a senior to suffer a hot-water scald. In addition, you can purchase anti-scald devices that can be used on any tap.
  
  
• Bathroom
  Consider non-slip bathtubs and floors in the bathroom-one of the most dangerous places in the house for an older person.
  
  Researchers at the Centre for Studies in Aging at Sunnybrook and Women's College Health Science Centre in Toronto have developed a number of products that can help in the bathroom, including:
  • The Toilevator, a device that raises the height of the toilet by 3.5 inches from the bottom
  • The Access Bathtub, which has a handgrip most of the way around and a grab bar on one sideas well as a wide enough wheelchair-height edge to allow for swivelling in and out of the bath
  • The SturdyGrip, a movable vertical pole that grips floor and ceiling to provide support beside a bed or at other sitting/standing/lying down transfer points
    
    
• Technology
  Down the road, expect all sorts of interesting technological developments designed to enhance independent living.
  
  A multidisciplinary group of researchers-engineers, computer scientists, occupational therapists, gerontologists—at the University of Toronto's Department of Occupational Therapy are working on a number of projects such as prompting devices to help people with dementia through their daily tasks and home-monitoring and emergency response systems.