Senior Safety at Home

Seniors can be safer in their homes, by following these tips...

Be Careful at Your Door

Don't open your door for strangers. This seems like obvious advise, but you might be surprised at how many people are tricked into opening their doors. What is someone came to your door and said they were from the gas company? What if they said they needed to come in for some emergency? Would you believe them and let them in right away?

Confidence men may come to your door with a very reasonable and important-sounding story. Don't be fooled! You can phone whatever company they say they're from, to check on their story. You can ask to see their ID. You can peek out the window and see if they came in a marked company truck.

Be very wary of anyone who arrives unexpected at your door, acting to be let in. Never open your door automatically. Install, (and use!) a peephole, so that you can see who's on your doorstep. Make sure that you have an outside porchlight, (with the switch on the inside), so that you can turn it on when visitors arrive after dark. When in doubt, keep the door shut and locked, and call for help.

Lock Up

Keep your doors and windows locked. Windows can even be locked into position while they're open. You can have that breeze without leaving the window wide open, and that's especially important if you live on the ground floor. Doors should say locked all the time. Otherwise, there's nothing to stop someone from walking right into your house!

Be Prepared

Even though you'll hope to never need them, make an inventory of your appliances and other valuable items. Take photographs, and record the serial numbers and keep that information in a safe place. Some of your property may be recovered after a robbery, and this well help authorities recognize what's yours.

Don't Get in a Rut

Be sure to vary your daily routine. Don't be so predictable that someone can foresee where and when you'll be alone. And when you do leave the house, don't leave a note behind telling when you'll be back or where you've gone. Notes such as 'I'll be home around 3pm' tell potential burglars exactly how long they can work in your home uninterrupted.

Be a Good Neighbor