Wesley Walker, Coordinator of HRRC’s Senior Repair Program, talks to seniors all the time who are concerned about their personal safety. “Being safe in your home involves a lot of factors,” Wesley explains. “You need to consider your physical environment, your personal habits, and your support system.”

Wesley says that there are a lot of things homeowners can do to reduce the chances of accidental injury. “The first step is to take a critical look at your home, to identify where accidents could happen. For example, look at your floors. Are there surfaces that get really slippery when they are wet? Do you have a thick carpet that makes it difficult to maneuver a walker or wheel chair easily? Are there rooms where the floors are different heights? Are there throw rugs on your floor? These are all trip hazards – and they can be fixed!”

Seniors who wish to learn more about personal safety issues are invited to a free senior workshop, “Safe at Home,” on Wednesday, February 18th, from 11 am to 12:30 pm here at HRRC. Wesley will discuss ways to improve home security, ranging from low-cost measures you can implement yourself to the pros and cons of commercial monitoring systems.

“Safe at Home” is free and open to residents of all communities. Reservations are requested; email wwalker@hrrc-ch.org or call (216) 381-6100, ext. 22.