5 Key Sharp Injury Prevention Awareness Subjects For Senior Living Environments

Senior living communities are designed to provide residents with a comfortable, carefree, and safe living environment. But while communities do all they can to minimize the risk of a wide range of injuries from things like falls, they can’t protect against every possible way a loved one can get hurt.

One of the most overlooked dangers present for seniors living in communities or in private homes are what are called “sharps” injuries. In health care, a sharp injury happens when a needle, scalpel blade or other medical instruments penetrates the skin and exposes the injured person to infection, blood-borne diseases or blood loss.

And while most sharps injury prevention strategies focus on protections for health care providers, seniors themselves are at risk as well. Skin wounds are particularly dangerous as we age. For this reason, it’s important for you or your senior loved one to be aware of the dangers sharp objects pose, and take steps to reduce the chance of cuts, scrapes, and puncture wounds from everyday tools and equipment in the home.

To protect yourself or a senior loved one from avoidable injuries, here are 5 crucial sharp injury prevention tips:

1. Keep the use of sharp implements to a minimum – Substitute sharp-tipped steak knives with rounded-tip dinner knives. Use snub-nosed scissors instead of ones with pointed blades. Or reach for an electric razor for shaving needs instead of a blade that can nick or cut thin aging skin.
   


2. Use the right tool for the job – Don’t use a knife or a sharp pick as a pry bar, chisel, screwdriver or scraper.
   
   
3. Don’t use dull blades – If you must use a knife to cut, make sure the blade is sharp. You have to use more force to cut with a dull blade which increases the chance of it slipping and causing an injury.
   
   
4. Use safe handling techniques – Carry one tool at a time with the blade facing down or away from your body. Wear protective gloves. Retract blades on tools like box cutters as soon as you’re done using them. Store sharp tools safely. Don’t try to catch a falling tool. Simply let it drop to the floor.
   
   
5. Safely dispose of sharp objects – If you have an old knife, razor blade, syringe or broken glass, dispose of it in a puncture-resistant container like a cardboard box, or wrap it in newspaper before putting it into the trash. This will protect you along with those who have to collect and dispose of trash as part of their jobs.
   

Whether it’s a serious cut or a small scrape, sharp injuries can be a serious health risk to older people. By following these five crucial sharps injury prevention tips for senior living, you or your loved ones can stay safe while cooking, crafting and doing everyday activities around the house.

MorningStar Senior Living

If your loved one lives far from family and friends, it could be time to move into a senior living community near their adult children where they’ll have the companionship of fellow seniors and a compassionate service team. At MorningStar Senior Living, a 24/7 team is dedicated to offering care and hospitality services that meet each resident’s social, emotional, physical, and spiritual needs. We offer month to month rent with levels of care if needed.