13 Ways To Make a Kitchen Safer for the Elderly


Many seniors jump on the slightest opportunity to do something for themselves, as it helps them feel less helpless. The kitchen is one of the few places where older adults can feel autonomous, as cooking is not too taxing. However, as a caregiver, you are only too well aware of the dangers a kitchen poses; so, what can you do to make a kitchen safer for the elderly?

Some surefire ways to make a kitchen safer for the elderly include installing non-slip flooring, investing in safety equipment, reorganizing the kitchen to make things easier to access, ensuring proper lighting, installing support equipment, and using gadgets with an automatic shut-off.

Read on for an in-depth look into some of the best ways to make a kitchen safer for the elderly.

1. Make Everyday Kitchen Items Easy To Reach

Every year, a significant number of older adults injure themselves in kitchens due to losing their balance and falling when trying to get a hold of things stored in hard-to-reach areas. Unlike ourselves, the elderly are not nimble enough to get on their tippy toes or jump to grab something.

Similarly, they can find it difficult to access items stored below waist level without straining. 

Fortunately, these are avoidable risks, as you only need to ensure that all the items your senior uses regularly are stored in easy-to-reach areas. That means they can access those locations without strain.

Where necessary help them prepare everything they need for their kitchen session to reduce their workload, which is another possible cause of accidents in the kitchen for the elderly. 

2. Install Reliable Anti-Slip Floors 

Slipping is one of the leading causes of accidents in the kitchen, and it can happen to anyone. However, the elderly are at a higher risk of slipping and falling since their balance is no longer what it used to be.

As you can imagine, falling in the kitchen can be fatal to seniors. That is because their poor sense of balance means they are more likely to fall awkwardly. Consequently, since they cannot brace themselves effectively for impact or hold out their hands to break their fall, they can hit their heads on hard surfaces, such as the floor.

And even if the fall is not fatal, seniors are likely to break a few bones since one of the effects of aging is lower bone density, resulting in weaker bones. And as you are well aware, the elderly do not make quick recoveries.

Now that we can see how hazardous a slippery kitchen floor can be, what can you do about it?

For starters, you’ll need to do away with tile flooring. Sure, tile has a minimalist appeal to it, in addition to being easy to clean. But you know what tile isn’t? Safe! That’s because this material becomes exceptionally slippery when exposed to moisture.

Fortunately, you don’t have to embark on a costly and labor-intensive kitchen floor renovation to make the kitchen safer for your seniors; you can get away with applying an anti-slip coating on your tile floor.

I recommend checking out the Tub Guard Anti-Slip Coating (available on Amazon.com). Some of the things I love about this product are its ease of application, fast-acting nature, and environmental friendliness, and comes as a clear solution to make the coating less obvious. 

3. Store Sharp Kitchen Items Carefully 

Sharp kitchen items arguably pose the greatest danger in the kitchen to anyone and, as such, need to be stored carefully. Therefore, have a hard-to-access area to store sharp items for later use. Such items include knives of all types, some forks, and others mainly used for cutting.

These items must always be kept in an area where they will be of least harm to anyone when they are not in use. 

If the elderly have to use such items, someone must always monitor them. If you have a caregiver around, always ask them to accompany your old father or grandfather to the kitchen anytime they want to use sharp knives. Doing so will mitigate any associated risks keeping them safe.

Better yet, you can do all the cutting and let your older one handle the rest. 

4. Use Plastic Items More Instead of Glass 

When seeking to protect your loved elderly, you must look into every possible source of danger. After sharp knives and slippery floors, glassware is arguably the next most dangerous kitchenware to the elderly.

Needless to say, broken glass can do a lot of damage to someone if they happen to step on it. 

Since seniors tend to be clumsy, they are highly likely to drop the kitchenware they are using. As such, you want to ensure that they are using a type of ware that is not likely to break if dropped. And if it does break, it should not be hazardous.

That is why you should consider choosing plastic kitchenware for your older loved one. Plastic is safe to use, durable, and budget-friendly. In case you want something more stylish, consider going for melamine kitchenware.

5. Use Gadgets With Automatic Shut-Off

Using automated kitchen gadgets is another way to keep your kitchen safe for the elderly. That is because our older friends tend to be forgetful, another effect of aging. This, in fact, is one of the main reasons kitchens are so dangerous to seniors; they can forget they had put something on the stove and go about their business.

If the stove is an older model that continues running until someone steps in, you can only imagine the risk the senior will have exposed themselves to.

That is why you should buy kitchen appliances with automatic shut-off for your seniors. This feature stops the gadget automatically after a specific period. Some appliances even have motion sensors that work with automatic shut-off to stop the appliance from running if it senses the individual is no longer inside the room.

For more information, check out my article covering automatic shut-off functionality for stoves. Can Stoves Automatically Shut Off for the Elderly?

You should also consider buying a kitchen timer for your senior loved one to alert them when their meal is ready. I looked around and found the KeeQii Kitchen Timer (available on Amazon.com) to be almost perfect. It comes with an 80 dB alarm, meaning it is loud enough to alert anyone within the house that the food is ready.

Additionally, it sports an antique look, adding to the kitchen’s decor tremendously. Moreover, it has a magnetic back to allow you to attach it to any metallic surface in the kitchen.

6. Install Safety Equipment in Your Kitchen 

Kitchens are prone to fires. The likelihood of a fire goes up exponentially when seniors use the kitchen due to their forgetful nature. As such, you want to have measures in place in case that happens.

That will involve installing a fire extinguisher, or two, in the kitchen. The fire extinguisher should be strategically placed in an easy-to-access location by anyone. It would be best if you also took the time to teach your older adults how to use the extinguisher.  

The other safety feature you need to have in your kitchen is proper lighting. The light you install in your kitchen should be bright enough to allow everyone to see every part of the kitchen at all times. Such lighting assists in maneuvering around the kitchen while making everything so easy to see and access, enhancing safety.

7. Declutter the Kitchen

Organizing your kitchen will not only make it safer for the elderly but will also make it easier for them to operate in it. Ensure you have everything in its proper place and create spacious walkways for them. 

If anything in the kitchen is not in use, find a safe location to avoid having an overstuffed kitchen. Only keep what is required for use on the kitchen table and other things away. 

By doing so, you will be able to save your older adults time finding what they need, keep them safe, and have a well-organized kitchen.

8. Observe Fire Safety at All Times

Incidents of fires in the kitchen are on the rise and can occur even when the most experienced chefs are using the kitchen. Many things can spark a fire in this area, ranging from electricity to fire sources. 

These fires can occur due to human error or happen by themselves. Whatever the case might be, it is essential always to have an idea of what to do in the event of a fire in the kitchen. 

Investing in fire safety can make a great difference in the event of such incidents. Start by having reliable fire alarms in the kitchen. These will notify the elderly of any fire even if they do not see it. After fire alarms, install automatic fire extinguishers like water sprinklers that will come on anytime the fire alarm goes off. 

Fire education is another thing the elderly who use the kitchen frequently must be taught. Get a professional to guide them on appropriate measures to take on any fire. Remind them to always consider their safety first before anything else.

In that regard, they should always find a way of fleeing the kitchen anytime they detect a fire that is above their ability to put out. Once they have escaped the kitchen, they can seek assistance from outside to deal with the fire if the installed fire safety mechanisms cannot handle it. 

Considering that the elderly are prone to forgetting things, you can help them remember by always keeping a fire safety manual on the wall in the kitchen. 

9. Make the Kitchen Comfortable 

Keeping the kitchen comfortable for the elderly is another way to make it safe. Put in place comfortable seats the elderly can sit on while going about their activities to save them from any form of strain that might result in them collapsing and falling to the ground. 

If they like spending time there, the sitting must always be comfortable enough to accommodate long stays. You can place the seats in safe strategic places that will make it easy for your loved ones to enjoy longer stays in the kitchens. 

10. Install Personal Support Equipment in the Kitchen 

The elderly like moving around so much but don’t ever forget that they are sometimes weak and can easily fall. This is why you need to install support equipment in the kitchen to allow them to move around with more ease.

Such facilities can vary depending on the setting of your home. You can install grab bars for bigger kitchens that the elderly can hold on to while moving.  

Also, remember to make the kitchen door wide enough for them to pass through easily using their walkers. 

11. Keep Away Dangerous Foods and Ingredients

The last thing you want with your old loved ones is a case of food poisoning or any complications arising from foods. Such scenarios can unnecessarily send you to spend a lot of money on treatment. 

To avoid finding yourself in such a position, always keep away any foods you feel might result in food poisoning for your elderly adults. Only allow them access to what is right for them and avoid anything unnecessary for their safety. 

12. Always Have a Helping Hand for the Elderly 

This is one of the surest ways of ensuring your adults are always safe in the kitchen. Having someone who watches everything they do will guarantee their safety and enable them to go about their activities with ease. 

If you have home assistance personnel, instruct them to always accompany the elderly to the kitchen anytime they want to cook or even have their meals. Ask them to make it as easy as possible to ensure they have a great moment. 

13. Remove Any Sharp Corners in the Kitchen

Inspect your kitchen for any sharp corners. Island kitchen designs are notorious for having sharp corners since they consist of standalone cabinets that typically have straight edges.

The issue with sharp corners is they can puncture through someone if the person were to fall awkwardly on them. Therefore, consider rounding the edges of your standalone cabinet to make the kitchen safer for your elderly loved one.

tatorchip

Roger L. "Chip" Mitchell is the owner of Growing Gray USA. Having worked with seniors and their families for over a decade as the owner of ComForCare Home Care of Northwest Georgia, Chip is able to share his insights working with aging senior adults and their adult children who are now finding themselves in a new role as caregivers for their parents.

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