Top 10 Safety Products for Seniors

by Janet Shapan

Safety devices for Seniors can help preserve their independence. The best safety products can also help seniors steer clear of home dangers considered the most dangerous by the Home Safety Council such as falls, poisoning, and fires and burns. Senior retirement trends presents to our readers recommended home-safety products that were tested with elderly consumers at the Carter Burden Center for the Aging in New York City. Here are their top choices:

1. Smoke Alarms for the Hearing Impaired
   Some smoke alarms have strobes or vibrate, which can be useful for the hard of hearing. The First Alert SA100B ($140) has an 85-decibel alarm and a strobe. It can be connected to other units; if one sounds, they all do. Hook the Kidde Interconnectable Strobe Light ($77) to another Kidde, and it emits a steady light for smoke and flashes for carbon monoxide. For more selections see below:

2. Shower Heads That Provide Safety from Burns
   The HotStop Shower Head ($25, 877-531-7470) and Antiscald ScaldShield Shower Device ($35, 718-268-7126) prevent scalding by slowing the shower flow once the water temperature gets too hot. The flow restarts when water gets cooler. While the HotStop replaces a regular showerhead, the ScaldShield is placed between the showerhead and the pipe. For other GREAT DEALS see below:

3. Avoid Burns in the Kitchen
   The Lamson & Goodnow HotSpot Honeycomb Silicone Pot Holder ($7, 800-872-6564) is a good alternative to a standard pot holder that’s made of cotton, which could ignite if left near a lit stove. Institute testers were able to hold a hot pan for more than a minute with these very flexible holders. And the elderly consumers gave the pot holder high marks, too.  For more GREAT DEALS see below:

4. Medication Pill Boxes & Containers
   The Borin-Halbich Home Care Pill Box ($3.94 per strip, 800-441-9779) is a seven-day pill dispenser with snap-down lids and labeled compartments for each day. In the Institute’s evaluations inside the lab and with older users at the senior center, this pillbox was a breeze to open and close. The large, raised lettering is a plus for those who are sight-impaired. For more GREAT DEALS see below:

5. Avoid Falls in Your Home – Handles
   Moen SecureMount Anchors ($37.50, 800-882-0116) let you install grab bars anywhere in the house — they can even be used in between the studs in bathroom walls. The bar attaches to an anchor inserted into the wall, so the device securely supports weight, giving seniors the extra support they need. For more GREAT DEALS see below:

6. Reach High-Up Items
   The Ettore Grip ’n Grab ($26.15, 800-438-8673) extends a person’s reach, so your folks won’t have to use a stool to get things that are high in their home. This grabber has a pivoting rubberized head, and it can nab something on the floor if bending down is difficult. For more GREAT DEALS see below:

7. In the Event of a Power Outage  – Rechargeable, 4-Hour Safety Flashlight
   This is one of Coleman’s rechargeable flashlight. When fully charged, the light will operate for more than four hours, giving you sufficient lighting during brief emergencies. While plugged into the electrical outlet, a small turquiose night light glows, so you can find it in the dark. Once unplugged, it goes out and a tiny red light goes on. For more GREAT DEALS see below:

8. Carbon Monoxide Detector Could Safe Your Life!
   Every single winter, the news  story, about a seniors (or whole families) dying from their furnace pot or gas stove leaking. A carbon monoxide detector works the same way. If your furnace should be emitting this deadly gas from your furnace, an alarm sounds before too much of this lethal gas, collects throughout your home; poisoning you and your family.  For more GREAT DEALS see below:

9. Kitchen Fire Blanket
   Never Take for Grant How Quickly a Food Fire Could Flare! The best that we have reviewed is made by Waubridge Specialty Fabrics LLC. Their website is kovenex.com.  While this is something that most households will never need to use, they all should have one. The kitchen sized blanket is designed for a stovetop fire or other small fire. See this and other GREAT FIREPROOF PRODUCTS HERE:

10. Walk-in Tubs
    The Rane Tub line, (http://www.ranetubs.net) I found that they have the largest selection of tubs that fit into many bathroom/facility settings.  From the RM3 “Superior”, which is a tub made for easy access and has the ability to fit into smaller areas and clear a close commode, to the “Lambo” RR7 II tub that makes you want to jump in the moment you see it. For more GREAT DEALS see below: