Hey there and welcome back to the Senior Safety
Advice Podcast. This month I've been talking
a lot about bath safety and home organization
covered why bathrooms are such a high risk area
and how clutter quietly increases fall risk and
how small changes throughout the home can make
everyday routines feel safer and less stressful.
So Today, I want to end the month by pulling
all of that together. Because when it comes to
safety, it's not always the big projects that
bring peace of mind. It's the small fixes, the
simple changes, the things that quietly remove
worry and help you breathe just a little bit
easier in your own home. I'm Esther Cain, a retired
occupational therapist and currently a certified
aging in place specialist and I want, my goal
here is to help you live as long as possible
for as safely as possible and independently as
possible in your home, wherever that may be.
It may be the home that you've lived in for many
years or it may be a smaller home that you've
moved to for ease of access and just ease of
maintenance. Wherever that is, I want you to
be safe and independent. Alright, so today we're
going to talk about small fixes and big peace
of mind. And this is actually one of my favorite
conversations to have. My friends will tell you
I talk about it more than probably they want
to hear. But my goal is to make them safe and
keep them as friends for as long as possible.
Most people think peace of mind comes from really
big changes, you know, big renovations or big
decisions or big expenses, but what I've seen
over and over again is actually the opposite.
Peace of mind usually comes from the small stuff,
the tiny fixes that quietly remove worry, the
little changes that stop you from holding your
breath and the things that you don't think about
anymore because, well, they finally work. And
here's the truth that most families don't realize.
It's not usually one big safety issue that causes
the most stress. It's a hundred tiny ones. You
know, the loose rug in the bedroom, the dark
hallway down to, you know, from the front door,
the wobbly step up. you know, from the garage,
the cabinet door in the kitchen that's constantly
sticking, the light switch that's just a little
too far. Each one on its own feels minor, but
together they can create a lot of tension. I
always tell my contractor it's just the little
things that add up that make the project annoying.
That low -level worry that never quite goes away.
And that's usually when I hear things like, I'm
always on edge, or I keep thinking, what if something
happens? Or I don't feel relaxed when they're
home alone, you know, from families when they
have older parents. Now, I've seen this with
seniors themselves, and I've seen it with adult
children. And honestly, that constant background
stress can really take a toll. So let's talk
about how small fixes really do lead to big peace
of mind. One of the biggest stress reducers that
I see is eliminating the almost moments. You
know, the ones like almost slipping or almost
tripping or almost falling. Those moments stay
in your body and in your mind even if you don't
think they do. Even if nothing happens, if you
recovered from it quickly, your brain remembers
and it starts anticipating danger. That's why
fixing that loose rug or adding a strip of non
-slip tape can change how safe someone feels
in their own home. I've watched people relax
instantly because it's one less little worry
out of mind. Their shoulders drop, their movements
slow down, they stop hovering over every step,
especially if it's something about falling. Another
thing that brings huge peace of mind is better
lighting. A lot of people don't think about lighting,
but as you get older you don't realize how much
more lighting you really need. This is so underestimated,
even from a lot of aging place specialists. So
that's why a lot of Courses emphasize lighting.
Poor lighting creates uncertainty and uncertainty
breeds fear. When you can't clearly see where
you're stepping or what's ahead of you, your
body stays tense. You may not even realize it.
You may not realize that when you're sitting,
when you finally get to your favorite recliner
and you sit down, that your shoulders are all
tensed up. Why are they tensed up? because it
wasn't that easy to get to your recliner. So
adding a simple lamp, a motion sensor nightlight,
or more than just one, a brighter bulb can completely
change how that space feels. I've had people
say things like, I didn't realize how much that
was stressing me out until we fixed it, or, wow,
I didn't realize how low the light was until
I got a new light. That happens a lot. And here's
where this really matters. A peace of mind isn't
just emotional, it's also physical. When people
feel safer, they tend to move better, they tend
to think clearer, and actually they tend to sleep
better. I've seen older adults who stopped going
to the bathroom at night just because the hallway
felt scary, and that's not a good thing. One
small nightlight later, problem solved. No big
renovation, no major expense, just a little gadget
that resulted in less fear. Now, another small
fix that makes a huge difference is just making
things easier to reach. When everyday items are
too high or too low, people start making risky
choices, standing on chairs or reaching too far,
twisting awkwardly. all for something that could
be fixed very easily. Moving just a few items
into easy reach can prevent so many accidents.
And I've seen the relief on people's faces when
they realize, oh, I don't have to do that anymore.
That's peace of mind. Then there's the power
of things working the way they're supposed to.
Now I know, a lot of us have at appliances and
gadgets and now with so many computer gadgets
they're great when they work but horrible when
they don't so I get it you don't always have
control over everything but there are some things
you can control things like sticky doors or sticky
cabinet drawers or loose railings or drawers
and, you know, cabinet doors that jam or anything
else that just makes it so much harder to use.
These kinds of things create frustration and
frustration leads to rushing and rushing leads
to mistakes. Fixing a door that finally opens
smoothly or tightening a handrail that no longer
wiggles, these things seem really small. But
it removes that hesitation. It restores that
confidence. And I've had clients tell me, well,
I didn't realize how much I avoided that area
until it really felt safe again. Well, yeah,
that avoidance can be really sneaky. People don't
always say it out loud. They may not even think
it out loud, but their world slowly gets smaller
because they avoid a certain area. They avoid
going out more. They avoid, like I said before,
going to the bathroom at night. All of these
small events can really add up and just make
your little world smaller. Small fixes can help
stop a lot of this from happening, and they're
not expensive. Another thing that families don't
always think about is reducing decision fatigue.
When safety isn't reliable, then people have
to constantly think, where do I step? Where do
I hold on? Should I hold on? Is this safe? That
mental load can be exhausting. When the environment
is safer, the brain can relax and that's when
peace of mind shows up. Now, I know that as we
get older, oftentimes, it is important to stop
and think before you take the next step or the
next action. because when you do things in a
rush, that's when you can easily cut yourself,
that's when you can easily trip over something,
and that's when you can easily injure yourself.
But at the same time, there's a lot of that,
or there's at least some of that, that you can
reduce by making the area safer. It's not as
exciting, you know, as doing the whole renovation,
I know. But it's these little things that can
make the environment safer. It's calm. It brings
in calmness. And honestly, I think calm is very
underrated. I've seen huge peace of mind come
from clear, clear communication about what needs
to be done, how to do it, and setting up systems
to do them. I mean, everything like simple notes
and labels and visual cues can be very helpful
for all of us. Knowing where things are, knowing
what's safe to use, and knowing what's been checked
and fixed. It really removes the guesswork. And
guesswork causes anxiety. My father -in -law
used to once a week spend an evening sharpening
all the knives in the kitchen. And he did that
because my mom -in -law cooked dinner and breakfast
every single day. So he wanted to make sure that
the knives were sharp enough for her so that
it was easy to cut carrots and vegetables and
tomatoes and whatever she was cutting. She was
very careful about using those knives but they
were always sharp because a dull knife you tend
to have to press more or push more or use in
a different way and that can easily cause a cut.
But this was something that he did to remove
that anxiety of is she going to cut herself while
she's cooking. So once a week he would take out
his knife sharpener and he would spend an hour
or so just sharpening all the knives. Little
things like that can make your home safer. Here's
something important that I want to say out loud.
Small fixes are not a sign of decline. So many
older adults look at these things as a sign of
decline, but it's not true. It's a sign of keeping
your independence. These are signs of wisdom.
They say, hey, I care about my safety. I want
my home to support me and I'm planning ahead.
That's empowering. That's something you should
honestly do your entire life, not just when you
get older. I've watched entire families breathe
easier when they realize, hey, we don't have
to fix everything today. We just have to fix
one thing, another thing tomorrow, another thing
next week. One thing at a time. Because every
small fix is one less worry. One less what if.
And believe me, those really add up. So if you're
feeling overwhelmed or anxious or unsure where
to start, just start small. One drawer at a time.
One corner at a time. Pick the thing that bothers
you the most, that is the most unsafe, the thing
you keep thinking about, and fix that first.
It could be that wobbly handrail. It could be
those slippery steps. Whatever it is. And then
notice. Take a little time, a day or two, to
notice how it feels. Don't you feel better that
that thing is fixed? Peace of mind often arrives
quietly. Not with fireworks, but with a deep
breath. Well, That's all I have for today and
for the end of January 2026. Thank you again
for being here with me. If today's episode gave
you some useful insights or new ideas, then please
share it with someone who might find it helpful
as well. You can discover even more expert tips
and helpful guides for seniors and caregivers
right here at SeniorSafetyAdvice .com. And if
you're searching for an Aging in Place Specialist,
visit our website at aginginplacedirectory .com.
Come back tomorrow for more useful tips, insights,
and ideas right here on the Senior Safety Advice
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