Fall Prevention in the Kitchen - 8 Ways to Make Cooking Safe For Your Elderly Mom

Let your mom still enjoy the beauty and joy of cookingthis has the potential of causing a slip injury.
for the family from time to time by making sure that• Let mom prepare food while sitting because there
these fall prevention measures are implemented in theare times when seniors will suddenly feel weak and
kitchen. The reason for adhering to these falltired from standing too long which will sometimes
prevention advice is because many falls that happencause dizzy spells thus leading to a bad fall.
to seniors are either associated with the use of the• Another fall prevention tip is to use non-slip mats
bathroom or while preparing food in the kitchen be itwhere mom will put her mixing bowl as she is cooking.
for their own consumption or for the whole family or• If mom has problems with eyesight, have her eyes
simply because they love the art of cooking.checked once a year and install bright lights in your
Slip and fall accidents are in reality the number onekitchen. You can also use contrasting colors on your
cause of problems among seniors that send them tofloors and counter tops so that she can easily see the
the hospital or results to injuries where they neverstairs or any elevated portions of your kitchen. Some
completely quite recover. So here are safetyseniors also wake up in the middle of the night to have
measures that will help you better take care of youra glass of water; a night light in the kitchen will help her
elderly parent to show her that you are willing tosee what she needs to see.
support her at this time in her life.• Regarding electrical cords from appliances see to
In preventing falls in the kitchen safe for your elderlyit that they are kept secure after use or that the cords
parent, you should investigate the whole kitchen fromare tacked to prevent your mom from tripping on the
top to bottom all wall cupboards, bottom cabinets,wires.
cupboards, and your counter tops as they may contain• You can also printout her recipes in large print to
seemingly harmful objects that are in reality posehelp her see what needs to be done better.
threats to your senior mom. For example your blender• As a fall prevention measure, those frequently
or your microwave oven could be in a spot whereused tools, pots, pans, bowls and other kitchen
they have a tendency to fall on the floor whichapparatus, transfer them to a location in the kitchen
becomes a falling hazard to your mom when she trieswhich is easy to reach so that mom will not have to
to pick the object up.use step tools to reach for that item up there.
• Throw rugs on your floors are a hazard to seniorsOn a final note, fall prevention also involves asking
and more often the cause of falls that result tomom in a polite way that you are senior proofing her
permanent disability. These should be removedkitchen. If you fear that she might not take this lightly,
especially if your mom is using a cane or walkers withyou can use gentle persuasion, or subtle suggestions
wheels.as to what needs to be done in the kitchen. The
• A wise fall safety measure is to check yourreason for this is that if mom doesn't see a tool in its
kitchen floor, see to it that it's easy to clean and isusual place, she might try finding the tool anywhere
non-slip. When cleaning your floor, don't use cleanerselse in the kitchen such as overhead cupboards which
that leave residue or make the floor super shiny asmay cause a fall accident.