The kitchen ranks a close second to the bathroom as the most dangerous room in your home. If your physical abilities have diminished and your response times have slowed, the odds make this room an even bigger risk for your continued safety. However, making your kitchen safer doesn’t have to be an expensive or complicated process. Here are some suggestions for items that can address those three targeted issues that create the highest risks in the kitchen.
Fire– One of the most common causes of kitchen fires that affect older people are those cooking accidents driven by unattended or forgotten pots of food being cooked. Installing an automatic shut-off is a solution to these problems for anyone with Alzheimer’s or any cook who is easily distracted. By monitoring motion in the kitchen, it will automatically shut the stove off after a specified time from the last motion that was detected. The delay time setting is adjustable to allow each user to personalize their system for their needs and cooking style. Stove Guard’s unit is available for electric, gas, and cook top ranges and may require an electrician or gas fitter to properly install.
Falls – If you’re over sixty-five years old, you have a one in three chance of falling sometime this year. This can happen to you in the kitchen if you’re reaching too high for items in your cabinets or using something flimsy to climb on to reach that high place. Using a reacher grabber can make those high places more accessible. And if you have to climb, use a step stool that has a grab rail on it for stability.
Food- Preparing and cooking food can lead to cut fingers and burned hands. Here are some items that can make these tasks safer:
The above is the good news as far as making your kitchen safer by the purchase of some simple devices. The bad news? Other ways to make your kitchen safer usually mean having to change some of your habits, which can be challenging. Don’t face those challenges alone, let IPAT’s Home First services help you look at your kitchen environment and your practices. We can make personalized suggestions for assistive technology that can make you safer in your kitchen!