Ron SmithPublished on AIP - The Home Assessment Series: The Laundry Room
Oh, where is that Doggy? Probably under foot!
I’ve previously examined a number of areas in your home for potential tripping hazards and obstacles for safe living. This article will look at some other dangers, including, living with our beloved pets. Most of us can’t live without our cats and dogs, but sometimes they literally just get in the way! About 85,000 people suffer nonfatal injuries each year due to falls involving our pets. About 88 percent of those falls are attributed to dogs! Not only do our pets get entangled in our feet when we are walking or carrying something, but their toys and accessories create additional opportunities for tripping. Advice for the National Institute on Aging is to “Know where your pet is whenever you’re standing or walking.”Limit the toys laying around by regularly picking them up and if you’re going to carry a bulky item, such as, a laundry basket put your pet in a closed room where they will be out of your way until you are done.
Speaking of laundry baskets, moving laundry around creates its own special opportunities for falls. Most of us living in Arizona don’t have to deal with carrying laundry baskets down the stairs to the basement to do our laundry, but those that live in a multi-story houses or an apartment building might have to deal with stairs to do their laundry. Consider a laundry bag or a wheeled laundry basket instead of a bulky laundry basket that might obscure your feet when walking and be hard to carry.
When selecting washing machines and dryers consider the ergonomics of loading and unloading the units. Is a front door model easier to load and unload or would a top loader be better? Would a pedestal be helpful to raise the height of the access doors? Be careful of stacked units as they might be difficult to reach and operate. Determine how you best want to move your laundry out of the dryer.
Some laundry products, such as, bleach containers and liquid detergents can be heavy and awkward to handle. If you use these products make sure that you have a secure table or cabinet near your laundry equipment for safe handling of these products. If the weight of the container has become a problem, consider using laundry pods which are lighter and easier to use. If there are any children around or visiting, be sure that the pod containers are securely closed to avoid accidental ingestion of the colorful pods.
If you have an adequately sized laundry room, add a table or a folding surface to assist in sorting and folding laundry in place. Sorted bundles and hangers are more easily carried back to their respective rooms for storage. If you have enough room you can utilize a drop-down drying rack or a floor rack for damp items. Be sure that these racks can’t be walked into or tripped over. Consider a small clothes rack to hang the dried items on before returning them to their respective rooms.
Be sure to clean the dryer lint trap after each use and periodically clean the exhaust ductwork to avoid potential fires. If necessary, hire a professional ductwork specialist if there is no one in your house who is able to clean your ductwork. If you notice your dryer taking longer than normal, it may be time for an inspection and possible cleaning.
If you need to reach upper shelves for supplies or the upper bars on the dryer rack, select a step stool that is sturdy, won’t slip on the floor and has a grab bar to hang on to for safety. Sometimes a reaching tool can be used to retrieve a lightweight object from an upper shelf without resorting to the climbing dangers of a step stool or ladder.
The room should have a smoke alarm and If you are using a gas dryer be sure to have a carbon monoxide detector.
(Source: AARP HomeFit Guide at aarp.org/homefit.)
Ron Smith is a Maricopa resident and an aging-in-place advocate. He is also a member of the Age-Friendly Maricopa Advisory Committee and a member of the Maricopa Senior Coalition.
