WEBVTT 00:00:00.730 --> 00:00:03.730 Hello, everyone. Welcome to the Daily Senior 00:00:03.730 --> 00:00:07.389 Safety Advice Podcast, where we talk about simple, 00:00:07.669 --> 00:00:10.330 practical ways to help older adults stay safe, 00:00:10.890 --> 00:00:13.730 confident, and independent at home. I'm Esther 00:00:13.730 --> 00:00:16.949 Kane, a retired occupational therapist, certified 00:00:16.949 --> 00:00:19.250 aging in place specialist, and a dementia care 00:00:19.250 --> 00:00:23.679 specialist. Be sure to visit our website at SeniorSafetyAdvice 00:00:23.679 --> 00:00:27.019 .com and subscribe to the podcast and the YouTube 00:00:27.019 --> 00:00:29.980 channel and share this episode with someone who 00:00:29.980 --> 00:00:33.439 you think may need it. Today, we're talking about 00:00:33.439 --> 00:00:36.700 rearranging furniture for safer movement because 00:00:36.700 --> 00:00:40.140 the way a room is set up can make everyday walking 00:00:40.140 --> 00:00:44.280 and mobility either much easier or much more 00:00:44.280 --> 00:00:48.359 risky. Most people don't think of furniture as 00:00:48.359 --> 00:00:51.539 a safety issue. They think about rugs and they 00:00:51.539 --> 00:00:54.479 think about stairs. They think about grab bars 00:00:54.479 --> 00:00:57.920 in the bathroom. But furniture placement matters 00:00:57.920 --> 00:01:01.119 a lot too. I had many discussions with my patients 00:01:01.119 --> 00:01:04.980 when I would do home assessments as an OT. On 00:01:04.980 --> 00:01:08.459 this topic, I have walked into many homes over 00:01:08.459 --> 00:01:11.719 the years where the furniture looked cozy, stylish, 00:01:12.099 --> 00:01:15.379 and welcoming. But once I watched the older adult 00:01:15.379 --> 00:01:18.799 move through the room, the problems became clear. 00:01:19.209 --> 00:01:22.409 There was a narrow path between the coffee table 00:01:22.409 --> 00:01:25.969 and the sofa. A favorite chair was tucked too 00:01:25.969 --> 00:01:29.829 far into a corner. A lamp table stuck out just 00:01:29.829 --> 00:01:33.049 enough to catch a hip or a knee. None of these 00:01:33.049 --> 00:01:36.129 things seemed like a big deal at first. But together, 00:01:36.829 --> 00:01:41.430 they made moving around the room harder and less 00:01:41.430 --> 00:01:46.329 safe. And that is often how falls happen. It's 00:01:46.329 --> 00:01:50.069 usually not one huge danger. It is a bunch of 00:01:50.069 --> 00:01:52.870 small obstacles that force a person to twist, 00:01:53.150 --> 00:01:56.629 sidestep, shuffle, or reach in awkward ways. 00:01:57.189 --> 00:01:59.650 And when balance is not as strong as it used 00:01:59.650 --> 00:02:03.250 to be, those little adjustments can become serious 00:02:03.250 --> 00:02:06.769 risks. One of the biggest misunderstandings that 00:02:06.769 --> 00:02:10.330 I hear is this. Mom knows where everything is, 00:02:10.330 --> 00:02:14.569 so it's fine. Well, yeah, sometimes that is partly 00:02:14.569 --> 00:02:18.030 true. And a person may know their home very well. 00:02:18.159 --> 00:02:21.039 They may have lived there for years, but knowing 00:02:21.039 --> 00:02:24.020 the room is not always enough. If they use a 00:02:24.020 --> 00:02:27.060 walker, a cane, or even just move more slowly 00:02:27.060 --> 00:02:30.680 than they used to, the room may no longer fit 00:02:30.680 --> 00:02:35.680 the way they move now. That is the key. The question 00:02:35.680 --> 00:02:39.479 is not, does the room look nice? The question 00:02:39.479 --> 00:02:42.900 should be, does the room support safe movement? 00:02:43.300 --> 00:02:47.030 After all, we all want to live much longer in 00:02:47.030 --> 00:02:50.750 our own homes as independently as possible. I 00:02:50.750 --> 00:02:53.069 want you to think about the path that a person 00:02:53.069 --> 00:02:56.310 takes from place to place. From the bed to the 00:02:56.310 --> 00:02:59.969 bathroom. From the recliner to the kitchen. From 00:02:59.969 --> 00:03:02.810 the sofa to the front door. From the dining table 00:03:02.810 --> 00:03:06.870 to the living room. These are the routes. Routes? 00:03:07.050 --> 00:03:09.969 Yeah, routes that people use every single day. 00:03:10.550 --> 00:03:13.810 If those pathways are crowded, tight, or uneven, 00:03:14.080 --> 00:03:17.620 the chance of falling goes up. In my work as 00:03:17.620 --> 00:03:21.020 an OT, I learned that safe movement depends on 00:03:21.020 --> 00:03:24.099 predictability. People do better when they have 00:03:24.099 --> 00:03:26.960 enough space to walk in a straight, comfortable 00:03:26.960 --> 00:03:30.180 path without having to squeeze around objects 00:03:30.180 --> 00:03:34.219 or change direction quickly. The body likes clear 00:03:34.219 --> 00:03:38.860 paths. The brain likes clear paths too. And that 00:03:38.860 --> 00:03:41.099 becomes even more important for someone with 00:03:41.099 --> 00:03:45.569 arthritis or poor vision or weakness or dizziness 00:03:45.569 --> 00:03:49.310 or Parkinson's disease or memory problems or 00:03:49.310 --> 00:03:52.889 even recovering from a stroke. A room does not 00:03:52.889 --> 00:03:55.710 need to be empty to be safe. I just want you 00:03:55.710 --> 00:03:59.129 to know that. It just needs to be arranged with 00:03:59.129 --> 00:04:03.030 purpose. One good place to start is with the 00:04:03.030 --> 00:04:05.870 walking lanes in the home. Try standing in the 00:04:05.870 --> 00:04:08.409 doorway of a room and looking at the route that 00:04:08.409 --> 00:04:11.379 a person would naturally take. Is there a direct 00:04:11.379 --> 00:04:13.939 path, or does the furniture force them into a 00:04:13.939 --> 00:04:17.759 zigzag pattern? If the path is narrow, then open 00:04:17.759 --> 00:04:20.720 it up. Move the coffee table, or better yet, 00:04:20.839 --> 00:04:24.259 get a smaller one. Shift the end table. Pull 00:04:24.259 --> 00:04:27.180 back that extra chair that hardly ever gets used. 00:04:27.939 --> 00:04:30.939 Many homes have too much furniture for the space, 00:04:31.439 --> 00:04:33.980 and that is very common. Or the furniture is 00:04:33.980 --> 00:04:38.370 too large, I have to say. Especially, I think 00:04:38.370 --> 00:04:40.550 it's hard for older adults when those pieces 00:04:40.550 --> 00:04:43.970 have sentimental value. I get that. I understand 00:04:43.970 --> 00:04:47.290 that. A side chair may have belonged to a spouse 00:04:47.290 --> 00:04:50.850 or an older parent, a parent. A little table 00:04:50.850 --> 00:04:53.589 may have been there for years. But when safety 00:04:53.589 --> 00:04:56.569 is the goal, every piece of furniture has to 00:04:56.569 --> 00:05:00.970 earn its place. And I know that can be hard emotionally. 00:05:01.529 --> 00:05:04.730 But still, it helps to remember that keeping 00:05:04.730 --> 00:05:07.730 a home safe is one way of protecting the life 00:05:07.730 --> 00:05:11.129 that was built inside of it. It's one way to 00:05:11.129 --> 00:05:14.009 keep that independence for as long as possible. 00:05:15.350 --> 00:05:17.889 Another thing to look at is furniture with sharp 00:05:17.889 --> 00:05:22.129 corners or unstable bases. Glass coffee tables 00:05:22.129 --> 00:05:26.550 are awful. Small decorative tables, lightweight 00:05:26.550 --> 00:05:30.139 chairs. All of those can be trouble. If a person 00:05:30.139 --> 00:05:32.779 grabs onto an unsteady piece of furniture for 00:05:32.779 --> 00:05:36.860 support, it may slide, tip, or turn. That can 00:05:36.860 --> 00:05:40.120 lead to a fall very quickly. I have seen people 00:05:40.120 --> 00:05:42.759 use whatever is near them to steady themselves. 00:05:43.339 --> 00:05:45.899 They do not always wait until they reach a sturdy 00:05:45.899 --> 00:05:49.939 surface. If the nearest thing wobbles, that can 00:05:49.939 --> 00:05:53.120 be a problem. And that is why sturdy furniture 00:05:53.120 --> 00:05:58.430 matters. You can also, just a tip, an idea, is 00:05:58.430 --> 00:06:01.750 to anchor the furniture to the wall like bookshelves 00:06:01.750 --> 00:06:05.709 or anything that your senior loved one may grab 00:06:05.709 --> 00:06:09.750 onto. Chairs should be solid and easy to get 00:06:09.750 --> 00:06:13.310 in and out of. Tables shouldn't rock. Frequently 00:06:13.310 --> 00:06:15.290 used seating should be placed where there is 00:06:15.290 --> 00:06:19.490 enough room to approach it safely. And also the 00:06:19.490 --> 00:06:23.000 height of the furniture matters. Low sofas and 00:06:23.000 --> 00:06:25.680 deep cushioned chairs may feel soft and comfortable 00:06:25.680 --> 00:06:28.339 at first, but they can be hard to get out of. 00:06:28.720 --> 00:06:31.720 When a person has to struggle to stand, they 00:06:31.720 --> 00:06:34.579 may push awkwardly, lose balance, or need to 00:06:34.579 --> 00:06:38.160 grab onto something unsafe. A firmer chair or 00:06:38.160 --> 00:06:41.379 sofa or any type of seating with arms is often 00:06:41.379 --> 00:06:44.310 a much better choice. I have a friend of mine 00:06:44.310 --> 00:06:48.329 whose mother insisted on keeping her sofa. It 00:06:48.329 --> 00:06:52.209 was a very low sofa and she got to the point 00:06:52.209 --> 00:06:54.329 where the last several years of her life she 00:06:54.329 --> 00:06:58.290 was not able to get up off the sofa. Her husband 00:06:58.290 --> 00:07:02.810 who was in his late 90s had to pull her up off 00:07:02.810 --> 00:07:06.870 the sofa and once he passed away there was no 00:07:06.870 --> 00:07:10.660 one there to help her up. off that sofa. My friend 00:07:10.660 --> 00:07:14.579 was often at her mother's house most every day 00:07:14.579 --> 00:07:18.360 looking to help her get up from that sofa. That's 00:07:18.360 --> 00:07:21.740 just silly. That doesn't make any sense. And 00:07:21.740 --> 00:07:26.220 it's not about, you know, making the room look 00:07:26.220 --> 00:07:29.680 weird or making changes, although changes are 00:07:29.680 --> 00:07:32.079 needed in order to keep that independence. Your 00:07:32.079 --> 00:07:35.279 body is changing and the furniture around you 00:07:35.279 --> 00:07:37.680 should change as well in order to accommodate 00:07:37.680 --> 00:07:42.259 that. The whole idea with seating is to help 00:07:42.259 --> 00:07:46.180 someone sit down and stand up safely and independently 00:07:46.180 --> 00:07:49.620 as much as possible. Another part of furniture 00:07:49.620 --> 00:07:52.860 is lighting. A room may look fine during the 00:07:52.860 --> 00:07:55.439 day and then become much harder to navigate in 00:07:55.439 --> 00:07:58.560 the evening. Shadows can make furniture edges 00:07:58.560 --> 00:08:02.040 harder to judge, dark wood pieces may blend onto 00:08:02.040 --> 00:08:04.620 the floor, and if someone gets up at night or 00:08:04.620 --> 00:08:07.639 walks through a dim room, Even familiar furniture 00:08:07.639 --> 00:08:11.000 can become an obstacle. I also want to say something 00:08:11.000 --> 00:08:13.699 here that shadows can be very disruptive for 00:08:13.699 --> 00:08:18.019 someone with a head injury or dementia or Alzheimer's. 00:08:18.019 --> 00:08:20.860 So it's important to walk through your rooms 00:08:20.860 --> 00:08:24.199 at all times of the day to check for those things. 00:08:24.540 --> 00:08:27.579 That's when a home safety assessment can really 00:08:27.579 --> 00:08:31.439 be very helpful for you. All right, so when you 00:08:31.439 --> 00:08:34.500 rearrange a room, think about how it looks in 00:08:34.500 --> 00:08:38.809 both daylight and lamp light. Alright, then there 00:08:38.809 --> 00:08:42.230 is the habit factor. People tend to place things 00:08:42.230 --> 00:08:45.370 where it is convenient in the moment. A basket 00:08:45.370 --> 00:08:48.169 near the hallway, a stack of books lands beside 00:08:48.169 --> 00:08:52.230 the chair, a footstool stays out because it gets 00:08:52.230 --> 00:08:55.610 used once in a while. Over time, rooms slowly 00:08:55.610 --> 00:08:58.529 fill up with items that shrink a walking space. 00:08:59.169 --> 00:09:01.850 That quiet buildup is something that families 00:09:01.850 --> 00:09:05.000 often miss. You stop seeing it because you got 00:09:05.000 --> 00:09:07.940 used to it. One simple trick is to walk through 00:09:07.940 --> 00:09:10.279 the home as if you were carrying a laundry basket 00:09:10.279 --> 00:09:13.360 or using a walker or getting up during the night 00:09:13.360 --> 00:09:16.500 while half awake. Suddenly the space looks very 00:09:16.500 --> 00:09:19.799 different. You notice what sticks out. You notice 00:09:19.799 --> 00:09:22.720 what blocks the turn. And you notice what would 00:09:22.720 --> 00:09:25.139 be hard to step around if your knees hurt or 00:09:25.139 --> 00:09:28.440 your balance was off. That kind of fresh look 00:09:28.440 --> 00:09:34.190 can be, excuse me, very revealing. If your loved 00:09:34.190 --> 00:09:38.070 one uses a walker or a wheelchair, safer furniture 00:09:38.070 --> 00:09:41.850 arrangement becomes even more important. Walkers 00:09:41.850 --> 00:09:45.490 need room to turn. Wheelchairs need wider clearances. 00:09:45.750 --> 00:09:48.370 Even a cane user needs enough space to place 00:09:48.370 --> 00:09:51.169 the cane correctly without bumping into furniture 00:09:51.169 --> 00:09:54.389 legs or table edges. And please don't forget 00:09:54.389 --> 00:09:58.389 about pets. A pet bed, a food dish, or favorite 00:09:58.389 --> 00:10:00.850 sleeping spot near a walking path can create 00:10:00.850 --> 00:10:04.779 a real tripping hazard. I love pets. I have had 00:10:04.779 --> 00:10:07.799 pets in my home for decades, but they are often 00:10:07.799 --> 00:10:10.799 part of the safety picture. How many times have 00:10:10.799 --> 00:10:13.360 you stepped back only to step on your cat or 00:10:13.360 --> 00:10:18.159 your small dog? Hopefully, not many times. Sometimes 00:10:18.159 --> 00:10:20.960 families worry that rearranging furniture will 00:10:20.960 --> 00:10:23.279 upset an older adult, especially one who has 00:10:23.279 --> 00:10:27.399 memory loss. And that is a real concern. Sudden 00:10:27.399 --> 00:10:31.179 changes can be confusing. In those cases, go 00:10:31.179 --> 00:10:34.830 slowly. Don't change everything at once. Make 00:10:34.830 --> 00:10:39.049 one improvement at a time. Keep important items 00:10:39.049 --> 00:10:42.090 and familiar, easy -to -find places. The goal 00:10:42.090 --> 00:10:44.690 is not to create a whole new house or a whole 00:10:44.690 --> 00:10:47.350 new room. The goal is to make the current home 00:10:47.350 --> 00:10:51.250 easier and safer to move through. That small 00:10:51.250 --> 00:10:54.570 difference really matters. Safer does not have 00:10:54.570 --> 00:10:58.110 to mean unfamiliar. In fact, the best changes 00:10:58.110 --> 00:11:00.950 often feel almost invisible once a person gets 00:11:00.950 --> 00:11:03.679 used to them. The room still feels like home. 00:11:03.960 --> 00:11:07.159 It just tends to work better. And actually, that 00:11:07.159 --> 00:11:10.440 is a great reason to begin doing this process 00:11:10.440 --> 00:11:14.720 before something happens. But when you're in 00:11:14.720 --> 00:11:18.740 your 50s, it's time to start changing your environment 00:11:18.740 --> 00:11:21.620 to accommodate you when you're in your 80s or 00:11:21.620 --> 00:11:26.649 90s. Don't wait for dementia or stroke or a heart 00:11:26.649 --> 00:11:29.929 attack. Do it now and get your home ready so 00:11:29.929 --> 00:11:32.809 that you can become familiar with it as you grow 00:11:32.809 --> 00:11:36.389 older. So if you're not sure where to begin, 00:11:36.710 --> 00:11:39.850 pick the room that's used most often. Usually 00:11:39.850 --> 00:11:42.549 that's the bedroom, the living room, the bathroom, 00:11:42.830 --> 00:11:46.230 the kitchen. Clear the main walking route first. 00:11:46.620 --> 00:11:49.799 Remove unnecessary pieces. Make sure the favorite 00:11:49.799 --> 00:11:53.000 chair is easy to reach. Check that lamps, phones, 00:11:53.779 --> 00:11:56.500 commonly used items are close by so that there 00:11:56.500 --> 00:12:00.440 is less reaching and less rushing. Because rushing 00:12:00.440 --> 00:12:04.000 is another hidden risk. When people have to hurry 00:12:04.000 --> 00:12:06.700 to answer the phone or get to the bathroom or 00:12:06.700 --> 00:12:10.399 answer the door, they're less careful. A clear 00:12:10.399 --> 00:12:13.120 room gives them a better chance of moving safely 00:12:13.120 --> 00:12:16.509 even in those moments. Alright, I want to leave 00:12:16.509 --> 00:12:19.450 you with this thought. Furniture arrangement 00:12:19.450 --> 00:12:23.730 is not just about decorating. It is about dignity. 00:12:24.070 --> 00:12:27.450 It is about making movement easier. It is about 00:12:27.450 --> 00:12:30.529 helping someone feel more secure in their own 00:12:30.529 --> 00:12:34.970 home. Sometimes a few inches can make a big difference. 00:12:35.210 --> 00:12:39.070 a chair moved here, a table removed there, a 00:12:39.070 --> 00:12:42.009 wider path to the bathroom, a safer route to 00:12:42.009 --> 00:12:46.090 bed. Those small changes can lower stress, reduce 00:12:46.090 --> 00:12:48.710 fall risk, and help an older adult feel more 00:12:48.710 --> 00:12:52.789 confident every day. And by the way, if you use 00:12:52.789 --> 00:12:56.129 an interior designer, if you're looking to maybe 00:12:56.129 --> 00:12:58.450 make some changes and use an interior designer, 00:12:58.919 --> 00:13:03.759 Choose one that also is CAPS certified that has 00:13:03.759 --> 00:13:07.279 the certification for aging in place assessments 00:13:07.279 --> 00:13:11.600 because that person can modify and design your 00:13:11.600 --> 00:13:15.419 area in both ways, not only aesthetically, but 00:13:15.419 --> 00:13:19.399 also pragmatically. So take a fresh look around 00:13:19.399 --> 00:13:22.120 your home or your loved one's home and ask one 00:13:22.120 --> 00:13:25.000 simple question. Does this room make movement 00:13:25.000 --> 00:13:28.679 easier or harder? If the answer is harder, even 00:13:28.679 --> 00:13:32.399 in a small way, today may be a good day to make 00:13:32.399 --> 00:13:36.580 just one change. Alright, thank you so much for 00:13:36.580 --> 00:13:39.360 being here with me today. I hope this episode 00:13:39.360 --> 00:13:42.000 gave you a few simple ideas to make moving around 00:13:42.000 --> 00:13:45.139 your home safer and easier. For more tips and 00:13:45.139 --> 00:13:48.580 resources, please visit our website at seniorsafetyadvice 00:13:48.580 --> 00:13:51.200 .com. And if you're looking for Aging in Place 00:13:51.200 --> 00:13:54.139 professionals, then please be sure to visit our 00:13:54.139 --> 00:13:57.919 sister site at aginginplacedirectory .com. Subscribe 00:13:57.919 --> 00:14:01.379 to the podcast or YouTube channel. And until 00:14:01.379 --> 00:14:04.759 next time, this is Esther Kane wishing you safety, 00:14:05.240 --> 00:14:07.220 comfort, and confidence at home.