Five Home Security Tips for Disabled Family Members
Individuals who steal for a living are not likely to have any problem with victimizing handicapped people. Therefore, some special precautions are necessary to make sure that your disabled relatives are not left at the mercy of these thieves. Utilize these tips to make your home safer and more secure for your handicapped relative.
Purchase a Security System
One of the best things you can do to prevent these thieves from preying on your handicapped family members is install a security system from an ADT Miami alarm company. Motion-activated lights, window break sensors, and signs advertising the use of an alarm system will send criminals away in search of an easier target. If your relative has impaired sight, be sure that the system’s control panel has a voice activation feature. For those who are hard of hearing, get a strobelight alarm.
Improve Accessibility Around the House
Getting yourself to a safe place is critical during a burglary, but this may be difficult for disabled people. If you have a safe room upstairs, consider setting up a second one downstairs so that your handicapped relative does not have to spend time climbing the stairs. Leave a wide berth between pieces of furniture, and eliminate trip hazards so that your disabled family member can move through the house as quickly as possible.
Promote Visibility
Handicapped people may have difficulties getting around the property to investigate suspicious occurrences, so you should put surveillance devices in place that make it easier to take a look. Closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras offer a view of any place in the house without having to move an inch. There are also peephole cameras on the market for seeing who is at the door without getting near it. Finally, many security systems can be synchronized with a smart phone. Such a setup would allow your handicapped relative to view any of the CCTV cameras no matter where they are at the moment.
Remote Control of Security Functions
A remote for your security system would be an enormous benefit for someone with limited mobility. The remotes that come with some systems can control door and window locks, which is quite useful for a disabled relative who needs to lock up the house at night. In addition, the remote can be used to activate the police notification feature in case of a burglary or an accident around the house. Be sure to request a remote like this from your Miami ADT home security installer.
Keep Everything Within Reach
If your relative uses a wheelchair, make sure that any security-related devices are low enough for them to reach. Telephones and security system control panels are often mounted high on the wall; move them down for easier access. In addition, make sure that your handicapped relative can reach all of the locks and deadbolts on the doors. It may be helpful to purchase a door with multiple locking lugs at different heights that are all connected to one latch.
Handicapped people are generally independent, capable, and resourceful, but it doesn’t hurt to take some extra steps to make sure that they are not left helpless against criminals. Home security for handicapped people is not complicated. It simply requires some modifications to accommodate whatever disability is present.
