Safety in the home

This section includes advice on accident prevention, managing your medicines and home safety checks. Select a topic to find out more.

Accident prevention
Home safety check schemes
Managing your medication
Telephone support services
Safety equipment
Safety in the home fact sheet

Accident prevention

Falls

Falls are the leading cause of fatal home accidents in Northern Ireland.

Tips for preventing falls:

Make sure that all your floor surfaces are non-slip, securely fixed and in good general repair.
Arrange your furniture so that you can move around easily.
Make sure there are no trailing flexes from electrical appliances.
Clear away any clutter from your hallway and stairs and make sure that your stairs are well lit.
Stairs and steps are one of the most common places for a fall. Take extra care and use the hand rail.
Fit safety rails in the toilet and bathroom.
Keep a bedside lamp or torch within easy reach of your bed and leave a low energy light bulb on all night on the landing to make sure that you can see if you need to get up during the night.
Keep as active as possible as regular physical activity helps to improve your balance and keep your muscles strong. Check with your doctor before you start new exercises.
Eat a diet rich in calcium and vitamin D, and take regular weight bearing exercise. This will help keep your bones healthy and reduce the risk of breaks or fractures.
Have an eye test every year. Eye tests are free if you are aged 60 or over.
Wear shoes with rubber soles and non-slip heels.

If you do have a fall or an accident:

Don't panic and try to stay calm. If you are alone, attract attention by banging on the floor or a wall.
Use your personal alarm if you have one, or try and call 999 if you can reach the phone.
Keep warm. Pull a coat or blanket over you if possible, and keep your arms and legs moving by tensing your muscles.
If you can, try to get up off the floor. Roll over on to your hands and knees first. Use a piece of sturdy furniture to try and pull yourself up. Ideally you should crawl over to a heavy chair or settee and get into a sitting position to rest before trying to stand.
If you do fall, consider informing your doctor, even if you are not hurt. There may have been a medical reason for your fall, or your doctor may be able to give you advice on how to prevent further falls.
Some medicines can make you feel dizzy and increase your risk of an accident. If you take more than four medicines ask your doctor or pharmacist to review them.

Falls prevention classes

Belfast City Hospital, the Royal Victoria Hospital, and the Ulster Hospital in Dundonald, run falls prevention programmes.

If you have had a number of falls, are at high risk of falling, or have a fear of falling, you should make an appointment to see your GP. Your GP may consider referring you to the specialist falls assessment clinic in your area.

After assessment at a falls clinic, you may be referred to a day hospital or to a falls prevention class. The class runs over a few weeks and includes physiotherapy group exercise, safety education, and foot health.

Prepare for emergencies

Pin the details of your GP and close relatives or friends in an obvious place, perhaps behind the front door, so that people know who to contact in an emergency.

Fire safety

Tips for preventing fires in the home:

Fit a smoke alarm and test it every week. Use a pole or brush shaft to reach the test button. Do not stand on chairs.
Before you go to bed at night take out plugs, close internal doors, move curtains, clothes and papers away from heaters, empty ashtrays and put a guard on open fires.
Draw up a fire escape plan so that everyone in the house knows what to do if the smoke alarm goes off.
Never overload electric sockets and always use the correct fuse.
If you smoke use deep ashtrays and never smoke in bed.
Avoid using plug-in air fresheners as they can be a fire hazard.
Make sure that all smoking materials are put out properly and are disposed of in a metal container, not a waste paper basket.
Always keep matches and lighters safely out of reach of children.
Never leave candles unattended and keep them away from anything that could catch fire.
Don't fold electric blankets. Store them flat or rolled up to protect the internal wiring.
Get your electric blanket serviced regularly and check for signs of damage such as frayed fabric, worn flexes and scorch marks. Unplug your electric blanket when you go to bed, unless you are absolutely sure it is the type that can be left on overnight.
Have your gas and electrical appliances serviced at regular intervals. Central heating boilers need to be serviced annually and chimneys swept every year.

Home fire safety check scheme

The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service runs a free home fire safety check scheme. On request, fire officers will come to your house and give you advice on any fire hazards you may have in your home. They will give you advice on how to avoid fires and fit a free battery-powered smoke alarm if necessary.

Telephone 028 9260 0477 to register for a free home fire safety check. Leave your details on the automated voice mailbox and you will be called back.

For more general information on fire safety call Fire and Rescue Service Head Quarters on 028 9045 6788.

Scalds

Older people are at higher risk of fatal injuries from burns and scalds. Many scald injuries involve the use of kettles or happen in the bathroom.

Tips for avoiding scalds:

Consider having thermostatic mixing valves (TMVs) fitted to bath taps. These valves regulate the temperature of the water coming out of the tap to a maximum of 48ºC. Temperatures above this can cause scalds.
To avoid scalds always put cold water in the bath first and check the temperature with your elbow before getting in.
Try not to carry hot liquids further than necessary.
When using the cooker, always use the rear hot plates and turn the pan handles away from the front of the cooker.
If you use a hot water bottle in bed, make sure it is of a good quality and replace it if it shows signs of wear. Hot water bottles should be used to pre-heat your bed and be removed before you get in.

Home safety check scheme

Belfast City Council provides a free home safety check for people aged 65 or over. These checks are carried out by trained advisors who can show you the risk areas in your home. They will also check all electrical sockets and replace all burnt, damaged or broken plugs.

Our home safety advisors can provide to other agencies, such as occupational therapists and the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service, who can install a smoke alarm designed to last up to ten years.

If required, safety equipment such as touch lamps can be provided in order to prevent falls within the home.

For more information, call our home safety officers on 028 9091 8715.

Managing your medication

Exceeding prescribed drug doses of medicines is a leading cause of accidental poisoning in people aged over 65.

Tips for managing your medication

When ordering repeat prescriptions you will normally have to collect your script from your GP practice. However, some pharmacies offer a prescription collection service from local surgeries and a home delivery service to people who are unable to leave their home. Ask at your local pharmacy if they offer these services.
Before buying any medicines, including herbal medicines, from a pharmacy, check with the pharmacist that they won't interfere with medication prescribed by the doctor.
Avoid buying medicines from unregulated websites.
Most medications have two names, the trade or brand name and a generic, ingredient name. Different generic brands of the same medicine may look different. Check with your pharmacist or doctor if you are unsure about any of your medication.
Always read the patient information leaflet and doctors' instructions on your medication. If the label reads "as directed" and you are unsure about when or how often to take your medications ask your pharmacist or doctor.
Pick an easily remembered time of the day to take medicines, for example, at meal times. If the directions tell you to take them on an empty stomach, take them one hour before or two hours after a meal.
Make regular appointments with your doctor to make sure that the medicines that have been prescribed for you are still appropriate.
Don't crush your tablets or open capsules and dissolve them in a drink without checking with your pharmacist or doctor first.
Never take more than the dose stated on the label of your medicine container.
Avoid taking extra medicines in addition to those prescribed.
Never share your medicines or give them to anyone else.
Take medicines you no longer need or use back to the pharmacy. Never throw them out with the household waste or put them down the sink.
It's useful to keep a list of all the current medication you are taking in a place that health professionals and family members can access in case of an emergency.
Avoid taking out of date medicines. Check the box or container for the expiry date. If you can't find an expiry date a general rule is that you shouldn't keep tablets or capsules for longer than a year, and liquids should only be kept for six months. Some medicines go out of date very quickly after they are opened so it's best to check the label and instruction sheet.
All medicines have possible side effects. Many people experience no side effects at all. If you do experience symptoms that you think might be side effects from your medicines, speak to your doctor or pharmacist.
Some medicines can cause drowsiness, so always check if it is safe to drive or work machinery while taking your medicines.
Care should be taken if drinking alcohol while taking any medicine but for some medicines it's important not to take any alcohol. Check with your pharmacist.
Keep all medicines in a lockable container or cupboard and out of the reach of children.
Keep medicines away from heat and direct sunlight because sunlight can cause medicines to deteriorate. If you are on prescribed medication from the doctor you should be familiar with the name of each tablet you are taking and also what condition or symptoms the tablets are prescribed for. If you have any concerns about taking your medication you should speak to your doctor or pharmacist.

Only take prescribed medicines. Please remember it's important to take your medicines exactly as they have been prescribed. If you take too little of the medicine your symptoms may not be controlled. If you take too much, an overdose can result and you may experience side-effects.

Sleeping tablets and painkillers

You need to be extremely careful when taking medicines such as sleeping pills and painkillers that are physically addictive. Only take painkillers according to the instructions on the packet. Never take a larger number of painkilling tablets or capsules or take them more frequently than is stated on the label. If you are already taking painkillers prescribed for you by your doctor, never purchase additional painkillers without speaking to a pharmacist first.

Managing your medicine service

You can speak to your pharmacist if you require any information on your medicines or how to take them. All pharmacists will be able to provide you with advice and help. A large number of pharmacists can also offer you additional help and support through the Managing your Medicine service.

Ask your pharmacist if they offer this service.

Message in a Bottle scheme

The Message in a Bottle scheme encourages people to record their personal and medical details, including emergency contacts, in a special bottle which is stored in their fridge. In an emergency anyone arriving to provide assistance will be alerted that the person has signed up to the scheme by the special sticker on the inside of their front door and on the fridge door. This important information will help the emergency services at the scene.

Bottles are available free from Belfast City Council, District Policing Partnership managers, the emergency services, local police or the community safety unit.

Telephone support services

Call response service and personal alarms

A number of organisations provide a 24-hour immediate call response service. At the touch of a button you can be connected to a response team who will summon the help you need. Unlike a phone, you don't need to dial an emergency service number and the system will work from anywhere in your home or garden using a remote button or pendant that can be worn on your wrist or around your neck.

This service can summon help in the case of an emergency or can be used more generally if you:

Are anxious about unwanted callers
Have health or mobility problems
Are worried about the risk or falling
Need additional support.

Financial help

Financial assistance may be available to pay for the service through a community care grant from the social fund if you are in receipt of pension credit and have savings of less than £1,000.

For more information contact Age NI or Fold Housing Association.

Age NI Enterprises
Telephone: 0808 100 4545 (Lines are open 9am-5pm Monday to Friday)
Website: www.ageuk.org.uk

Fold Housing Association
Telephone: 0800 731 3081
Website: www.foldgroup.co.uk

Good Morning projects

A Good Morning project is a free, confidential telephone service for older people and people feeling vulnerable.

If you would like to register for this service and live in any of the areas mentioned below, contact your local Good morning project between 9am and 1pm.

Contact telephone numbers for Good Morning projects in Belfast
Project	Telephone number
Good Morning West Belfast	028 9020 0228
Good Morning North Belfast	028 9071 9200
Good Morning Colin (includes Twinbrook,Colin and Greater Dunmurry areas)	028 9062 7863
Recall Project (includes south and east Belfast)	028 9046 9946

If you get an answer machine when you ring, leave a message and someone will ring you back.
The Recall Project in south and east Belfast also offers befriending and advice services.

East Belfast Good Neighbour Project

The Oasis Caring in Action organisation runs a project in East Belfast for older people which involves volunteers meeting up with older people to provide training and support. If you're interested in getting involved, phone 028 9087 2277.

Safety equipment

If you're having difficulty with everyday tasks such as getting in and out of bed or getting into the bath, an occupational therapist may be able to advise you of safer techniques to use or may recommend that you use equipment to assist you in carrying out activities in a safer way. Examples include bath seats, hand rails for the toilet or stairlifts.

To contact an occupational therapist in the Belfast area please phone one of the following numbers, depending on which area you live in.

South and East Belfast: 028 9056 5565 North and West Belfast: 0845 606 6596

If you want to buy equipment privately, the Disabled Living Foundation (UK) can give you details of local suppliers. YOu can also look for local suppliers in the telephone directory under mobility and access equipment or stair lifts. Some companies also buy and sell second-hand equipment. It is recommended to buy equipment that comes with a limited guarantee.

Equipment can be expensive, so think before buying. It's useful to have a friend or family member with you to give a second opinion.

Shop around for the best price as supplier prices can vary. If possible try out the equipment first. Find out how often the equipment will need servicing, and about running costs and guarantees. Decide if you'll need to insure your equipment and how much that will cost. If the equipment is quite large you'll need to check if it will fit through your door and whether you need a ramp to get it in and out. Other things to consider include whether or not the equipment can be folded up or will fit in a car.