Hidden Risks In Grandparents' Homes.

It's the holidays.

Time to visit Grandma and Grandpa.   

All of those little grandkids (and sometimes great-grand-kids) to visit at the homes of the grandparents.  A wonderful time for all.

Or is it?

Putting aside the dynamics of families, there is another serious threat to the safety and well being of the grandkids...and they are the hidden risks in the homes of people without children.

 I myself had my first grandchild just a couple of years ago, with additional little ones to follow.  Let me just remind everyone this ... little kids can and will get into things that you think are safe and secured.  It's like God has provided the littlest people with built-in burglar instincts.  And we have to police the situation to keep them safe.

A recent poll from the University of Michigan suggests that medications are often not sufficiently safely stored when grandparents are visited by little ones.  This is very important because up to 40% of children with poisoning seen in ERs have shown the source of the medications to be from their grandparents.  This includes accidental poisoning by "curious" small children as well as intentional misuse by older children (i.e. teens) who may seek out and steal medications from their grandparents.  Either way, it's a recipe for disaster.  

So, what to do....

• First, be sure to SECURELY put away all medications when young children are in the house.
• Parents should feel comfortable with reminding their parents ahead of time as well as upon arrival to the visit that medications should be put away.
• If available, be sure that any vials of medication in child-proof containers have the child-resistant side of the cap used.  Some caps have a child-proof and non-child-proof side.   

While you are at it and getting ready for visits by your little ones, consider doing these additional items to prepare your home.

• Ensure stairways are secured to prevent children from falling down unprotected steps
• Remove and secure all household chemicals and cleaning products, such as toilet bowl cleaners, drain cleaners, etc.  Also, check your laundry to remove bleach and soaps.
• In the kitchen, secure all knives and sharp instruments.  
• If you are a firearm or weapon owner, ensure all weapons and locked up and secure.  This includes martial art weapons, decorative swords, handguns, bow and arrows, claymore mines (just kidding), and anything else that can be used as a weapon.  
• Put mace, bear spray, bug spray and other potentially dangerous aerosols in a safe place.
• Secure loose cords, such as with blinds, or other long cords to reduce the change of accidental strangulation.
• Remove any dangerous electrical cords or extensions.

In short ... it's important to have a very high index of suspicion for danger and a low threshold of changing items for protection.  This list is just the start of a comprehensive list of necessary items to deal with in your home.

They are your grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  They are your legacy.  Protect them dearly.

WhiteCoat Risk Management provides these articles to help improve general risk awareness in all aspects of your life.  It is not responsible for any actions you take or fail to take regarding any aspect of your financial planning or risk management.  This article is provided for information purposes and is not intended to provide individualized advice. You alone are responsible for your decisions.  

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