Bathroom and Bedroom Phones
It is important to have a working phone in the bathroom and bedroom in case you have a need to call for help. It is straightforward to add an extra phone jack; it may require a call to your phone service provider. A power outage could render a cordless phone inoperable; you should install a phone outlet both by your bed and within reach of the toilet, and use corded phones. If you have a phone provided by your cable company, be sure it has a charged backup battery.
Hearing Aids
A common problem you may encounter as you age is diminished hearing. There are a wide variety of products available to help you with hearing loss, such as amplified phones or cell phones, and set-top speaker systems for televisions. You can also install visual indicators, such as flashing lights for the doorbell, telephone and smoke alarms.
Miscellaneous
A few more safety points include:
- Install smoke and carbon monoxide detector alarms throughout the house
- Keep appropriate, up-to-date fire extinguishers in the kitchen
- Use electric appliances with an auto-shutoff function
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