With active adult living for seniors rising in popularity, you may be wondering if you should join retirement communities. After all, retirement communities are known for their variety of lifestyle advantages, such as higher quality of life, maintenance-free lifestyle, and great social life to name a few. But what about safety? Is safety assured in active adult living, and how is it achieved if it is? Read on to learn more about this.
Potential Safety Concerns
According to the most recent National Safety Council data, there are almost 131,400 avoidable injury-related fatalities in homes and communities in 2019 for those in their golden years.
They found poisoning and falling to be the leading cause of such deaths. In fact, another study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States found that every year, more than one in every four mature adults suffer from falls. And falling once increases your chances of falling again.
Fall fatality rates among those in their golden years in the United States increased by 30% between 2007 and 2016. Unfortunately, when you live alone, you may be unable to seek the aid you require if you are unable to get up and reach a phone to call for help. Falls can sometimes knock people unconscious, posing additional risks.
Poisoning can occur more commonly than you may expect. It is possible to suffer from poisoning when taking inappropriate medicine or dosage. Incorrectly utilizing a product might potentially result in poisoning.
Other potential hazards at home include mechanical asphyxia, fire, choking, and drowning. These are just some of the potential safety concerns if you were to live alone at home, and not with a community.
Enhanced Safety
Thankfully, in retirement communities, you do not need to worry about potential safety concerns. After all, they are built with your safety and security in mind. While each community is unique, each and every one of them can guarantee enhanced safety for you. In fact, here are some examples of how they manage to achieve a high level of safety and security in retirement communities:
- Grip bars in and around toilets, showers, and bathtubs
- Raised bathrooms
- Fall prevention measures around the community
- Paths illuminated by bright lights and windows
- Non-slip flooring tiles
- Safety-locks to specific locations for additional safety
- 24/7 intercom access and emergency call systems within the community
Reducing the Risk While Enhancing Convenience
Another way retirement communities can keep you safe is by having specific community features that promote a convenient, stress-free environment. Some communities, for instance, offer prepared meals. Performing simple tasks such as cooking can result in injury if you are not careful. You may want to consider retirement communities with dining halls where prepared meals are readily accessible.
Not to mention, most communities also provide amenities such as cleaning and transportation. The absence of duties reduces the likelihood of stumbling and falling. Additionally, the advantage of transport handled by professional dedicated drivers is that you no longer have to drive and endanger your life on the road, especially if you have problems with your vision.
