Protecting the elderly: choosing door guards for care homes

08 Jul Protecting the elderly: choosing door guards for care homes

Alongside infants, children and teens, older adults aged 65 or above are considered one of the most vulnerable age groups for finger entrapment. For settings that are home to large numbers of elderly people – such as care homes and independent living facilities – protecting residents from the very real risk of finger trapping is important.

Our door guards are excellent investments for care homes, sheltered housing, independent living accommodation, community centres and other places the elderly frequent. But, where do you even begin when choosing door guards for your care home? Read on for answers…

Step 1 – Understand the ‘why’

While many people associate finger trapping injuries with children, elderly residents in care homes are at risk too. At the root of it, it’s their physiology that’s to blame for the increased number of finger trapping incidents in this age group. We’ll let Physiopedia explain more:

“Hand function decreases with age in both men and women, especially after the age of 65 years. Deterioration in hand function in the elderly population is, to a large degree, secondary to age-related degenerative changes in the musculoskeletal, vascular, and nervous systems. Deterioration of hand function in older adults is a combination of local structural changes and more distant changes in neural control.”

With conditions like arthritis, dementia and Alzheimer’s also reducing dexterity, causing confusion and exacerbating mobility issues, the prospect of crushed, smashed or even amputated fingers is very real. Team this with the fact that several doors are fire-rated and/or self-closing within care homes, and the force involved can cause great trauma.

Step 2 – Appreciate the benefits

Finger protection devices in care homes can help the most vulnerable residents enjoy safety in the place they now call home. Their installation actively improves everyday living, with residents fully protected against painful and potentially serious injuries. For care home managers and staff, the use of door finger guards helps fulfil that duty of care, reduce the risk of claims and complaints, and ensure that extra reassurance for families that their loved ones are in safe hands.

Step 3 – Assess your environment

Before you order your finger guards with us, you’ll require a clear understanding of the needs of your residents and property. Different door types after all call for different protection. Thankfully, we stock finger protection devices for 99% of today’s doors, including standard hinged doors, uPVC designs, bifolds, flush fit doors and fire doors.

We recommend completing a risk assessment of all the doors within your care home to determine which need your attention. High risk areas include communal lounges, dining rooms, bedrooms, fire exit routes, specialist dementia units and busy corridor entrances. You can find out how to complete your own risk assessment here.

Step 4 – Choose your protection products

Over the years, we’ve refined our collection of door safety systems to ensure a complete solution for any setting, and this includes care homes and residential facilities. Each of our door finger guards is crafted using heavy duty materials and commercial grade fittings, with their easy installation and wipe clean, hygienic surfaces only adding to their convenience. The result? Long lasting fixtures that deliver reliability even in high traffic environments.

For care homes, we’d recommend our antibacterial door guards for an added layer of infection control and protection. You can explore our full range of finger protection devices in our latest brochure.