Living alone poses a number of challenges, and one of these is where safety is concerned. There are always going to be risks that any home faces and you should address these to begin with. When you do this, you can be sure that you’ll not only feel a lot safer, but you’ll actually be safer too. Have a look below to see some of the ways in which you can improve your home’s safety if you live alone.
Know Your Neighbors
To begin with, it’s worth it to take the time to know your neighbors. Knowing them on a personal level can be worthwhile because, in case of an issue, they may be the ones to lend you a hand. Keep in mind that danger might come from a place where you least expect it to. This is based on the fact that homicide is one of the main causes of death for women. Even more distressing is the fact that almost half of all female victims aged 44 and below are actually killed by a former or current male intimate partner. In such a case, if your neighbors hear a tussle or learn that you’re in distress, they may be able to help you a lot faster than law enforcement or your other emergency contacts.
Come up With an Emergency Plan
Don’t forget to put an emergency plan in place because you don’t want to be caught off-guard and not have a means of escape. The best way for you to come up with a solid plan is by first learning about your neighborhood. This way, you’ll be informed about possible exit routes and more, ensuring that you can make your way to safety a lot faster and more efficiently.
Keep in mind that the best safety routes shouldn’t pose risks such as slips and falls to you. That’s because 12.8 deaths out of every 100,000 that occur are as a result of unintentional slips and falls, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. You can imagine how much more danger you’ll be in when trying to get to safety but slip before you’re in the clear.
Always Lock the Windows and Doors
The windows and doors in your home are some of the possible entryways that burglars and other criminals may make use of. This is the reason why you stand to benefit immensely from installing reliable locks on the doors and windows. Remember to keep them locked whenever you’re out and when it gets dark so that you don’t expose yourself to risk.
Make this solution more effective by keeping shrubs and trees around your home a good distance away from the windows and doors so that they don’t act as potential hideouts for criminals. Remember to find the right balance between opening and closing the doors and windows for the sake of airflow. This is because something troublesome like mold can be prevented by keeping levels of humidity below 50%, according to Comfy Living.
Maintain Privacy Online
Finally, while you’re free to enjoy having an online presence, remember to be careful about what you post online. That’s because sharing too much information on social media can expose you to a number of risks. For instance, by sharing your address or identifying videos and photographs of your home, you may be giving away your location to potential criminals who will have profiled you online.
By keeping these considerations in mind and taking the necessary preventative measures, you can considerably improve your safety while living alone. Remember that you’re responsible for your safety at the end of the day and so you should make a conscious decision to improve your security.