This is not intended to frighten you, only to inform you: Statistically, your home is one of the most dangerous places you will go all day. According to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA), more accidents happen at home than anywhere else.

You might also be surprised to learn that there are over 6,000 deaths due to home accidents every year. Accidents and emergency units admit over 2 million children a year.

Now I don’t want you to go thinking of your warm and loving home as a death trap for the most vulnerable of your loved ones. But a lot of bad things happen to a lot of good people inside the comfort of their own homes. That’s the bad news.

The good news is that it doesn’t have to be that way. And there is plenty you can do to make sure that those who live in your home are safer and more secure. Here are just 4 of the simplest things you can do:

Provide Seniors a Call Button

In the home, falls are the most common accidents, with increasing risk as you age. People over 65 are the most likely to suffer an accident at home. If you have a senior who might be by herself in your home at times, she needs to be equipped with a call button so that help is only ever the press of a button away.

With automatic fall alert systems like the ones found at www.alert-1.com, your loved one can get help when they fall, even if they are unable to push the button. The most dangerous situation of all is to need help, and not be able to get it in time. Make your home safer by making sure getting help is as easy as possible.

Make the Air Safer to Breathe

There is nothing quite as satisfying as a deep breath of fresh air, and few things as disappointing as discovering that air is not as fresh or safe as you thought. A simple dehumidifier can help reduce allergies that make breathing difficult for millions of people.

Most people likely don’t realize that humidity in the home is one of the main culprits in allergens being spread throughout the house. A dehumidifier is designed to remove the moister from the air in the home. Besides wearing a mask, there is little you can do to make the air more breathable outside. Inside the home, you have options.

Disinfect Everything

When it comes to fighting the good fight against germs, take the advice of one charismatic Star Trek Villain: Fire everything! There are many ways to disinfect your home from flu and cold viruses. But your main weapon is vigilance.

Sheets need to be changed twice weekly. Fresh towels should be put out once a day. Paper towels are better for drying hands as they can be thrown away. It is not just sinks and door knobs that need to be cleaned daily, but remote controls, shared computer mice, game controllers, and the like.

Not everyone in the home will have as strong an immune system as you. So be sure to take their needs into account. Safety is not just about accidents. It is also about good health.

Get a First Aid Kit

The Red Cross and other organizations would like to remind you to purchase or assemble a first aid kit for your home. No one goes camping without a first aid kit. That is because we are aware of all the dangers that await us in the wild. We usually overestimate the danger we face, imagining death around every tree trunk.

But in our homes, we feel secure, civilized, and ready for anything. But that sense of security is based on a false premise. We fail to recognize the home as the place where we are most likely to have an accident. As such, it is the most sensible place to have a first aid kit.

Nothing you do will remove every danger from your home. But you can make it a lot safer by making sure the most vulnerable have a call button, providing a breathable atmosphere, disinfecting everything, and keeping a well-stocked first aid kit, just in case.