People of all ages are concerned about being secure – and safe – as it relates to them personally, in their homes, in their vehicles, in public spaces, as they are coming and going, and in their lives in general. They want their loved ones and friends to have that security also. People want to know that they will be safe whether they are out and about or relaxing at home.
We are concerned about security in a couple of very important forms. We want to be safe in our homes and vehicles. We want to be free of intruders (unauthorized people with sinister intentions) or anything (foreign objects, wind, rain, or other weather) that might penetrate the environment where we are at the time.
We also want to be safe from falls, trips, stumbles, cuts, burns, and anything else that might happen to us in our homes, including objects falling on us from a higher shelf, objects breaking while we are handling them of attempting to use them, and anything (particularly electrical or mechanical items) that can be used improperly and cause discomfort or injury.
As we get older, security and safety (they are so inter-related) become much more important. When we fall, it’s harder to get back up and keep going. We aren’t as flexible as we used to be. Bumps and bruises take longer to heal. We also are concerned about our ability to deal with challenges, threats, and danger. At a much younger age, nothing much bothered us. Now it does – and not just us, but many other people who aren’t so young anymore.
Many people live in gated communities or neighborhoods or building where security guards or patrols are provided, along with entrance gates that require activation.
Even if we don’t live in a gated or secure community, we spend money on door locks and monitored security services. We lock our doors and windows at home. We lock our offices – particularly when we are in the building alone. We lock our cars. We lock our desks. We padlock our notebook computers and often use fingerprint recognition as another form of security. We lock our cellphones and other electronic devices with secure passwords.
Wanting to be secure never diminishes. It starts as an infant when we feel secure in the care of our parents. They provide shelter, food, and other necessities for us. They make sure that we remain as safe as possible, although accidents can and do happen.
As we grow and begin to look out for our own well-being, we take the lessons of feeling and being secure and safe with us. We purchase insurance. We are careful – some more than others – about relationships, purchases, and where we live and work. We do our best to protect ourselves.
As we age, not only do we want and need to feel safe in our homes from intruders, we want to feel safe from injury, and we expect our homes to be friendly to us. We don’t expect to be hurt in our homes.
We must be safe both in and around our homes – meaning the yard in the front and the back. Gardening, sitting on the porch, walking, or other activities at home need to be safe for us.
Security translates into safety and that relates to peace-of-mind. As we – and those we serve – age in place, these and similar safety and health concerns need to be given our full support and planning.
We cannot be afraid of being in our homes. This defeats the whole concept of aging in place. One of the reasons we choose to remain in our homes is because of the level of comfort they provide, and this includes security. We must feel reasonably secure and free of being injured while enjoying our homes.
