Page 276 - FDF QUARTER 2 REPORT 2025 (ENGLISH)

6/4/25, 10:24 AM FDF launches ‘Safe Home Preparation Guide’ for senior citizens - Middle East News 247
health regulations. H.E. Al Rumaithi further emphasised FDF’s efforts to create safe homes for senior
citizens by making requisite modifications to ensure sustainable safety that is customised to their health
conditions and circumstances.

H.E. Al Rumaithi also emphasised the significance of the FDF’s initiative, highlighting that it involves
house modifications that assist senior citizens’ mobility, while also ensuring social engagement and

integration. These modifications include the installation of access ramps, inclusion of handrails in key
locations, and the use of nonslip flooring in outdoor spaces. H.E. further emphasised the need of
widening doorways, improving lighting, and adding a canopy or awning at the entry of homes to provide

weather protection, while maintaining full compliance with safety standards.

H.E. Al Rumaithi said: “Care for seniors is a basic humanitarian and national value that represents social

cohesiveness and improves quality of life. It encourages the use of FDF’s community initiatives and
programs to ensure a dignified and safe life for this vital segment of the society, as well as protect their
position and promote their psychological and social health.”

Motion Sensors and Assistive Tech

Her Excellency Wafa Mohammed Al Ali, Director of the Family Development Department at FDF,
stated that technology is no more a luxury, but rather a means to convey our love and care for the comfort
of senior citizens. H.E. stated that simple innovations can make a significant difference in creating a safer
and more independent home environment for senior citizens. These technologies include motion sensors

that automatically illuminate hallways at night, fall or emergency alarm systems, indoor surveillance
cameras that reassure family members remotely, smart medication organisers that remind them of their
medication schedules and voice assistants that allow for easy lighting control or assistance requests.

H.E. Al Ali emphasised the need of providing a safe home environment for senior citizens, starting with
simple yet important details. H.E. highlighted the importance of sufficient lighting in corridors and

bathrooms to reduce the risk of falls, as senior citizens require clearer vision. Proper lighting makes a
significant difference to their safety. H.E. further stressed the significance of support handles in bathrooms
to assist with standing and moving, as these are the most common sites for household accidents. Simple
changes can mitigate major risks. To avoid tripping, remove loose carpets and exposed cables, as safe

flooring equals safe steps. The layout of furniture should allow for simple movement, particularly for
persons who use assistive devices such as walkers or wheelchairs. Senior citizens can roam more freely
and safely in open settings.

Safe Homes

H.E. Abdulrahman Al Balushi, Director of the Strategic Planning and Institutional Development
Department at FDF, discussed one of the key initiatives—the launch of the ‘Safe Home Preparation
Guide’ He noted that the initiative aims to create a home environment that is safer and more comfortable

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