Feeling safe at home is not a given. In 2022, in France (excluding Mayotte), 211,400 burglaries or attempted burglaries of homes have been recorded by the police, according to INSEE estimates. In other words, on average we observe 5.8 offenses per 1,000 dwellings. Elderly, lonely and vulnerable people are particularly targeted by home intrusions and attacks. According to a new study conducted by Opinion Way for Verisure, more than 6 out of 10 seniors living alone do not feel safe at home.
More than 6 out of 10 seniors admit to not feeling completely safe at home
Do our elders feel at peace and safe from danger when they are at home? This is the question that the leader in remote monitoring in Europe, Verisure, tried to answer thanks to an exclusive survey carried out by OpinionWay. To do this, 1,010 French men and women answered various questions. Among them, 658 people were aged over 50 and lived alone at their home. While the vast majority of seniors surveyed (99%) believe that home security is essential, many do not feel safe at home.
According to the results observed, 64 % believe they do not feel completely safe at home. They explained the reasons for this feeling of daily worry. Thus, 43% have already been victims of a burglary or an attack at home, 42% mention their living environment including the neighborhood and the environment and 29% report housing insecurity. Another interesting finding, more than half of those surveyed (59%) feel a feeling of insecurity once night falls.
Medical emergencies, primary concern in the face of burglaries
However, the people aged over 50 surveyed are well aware of the key elements that allow them to feel safe at home. The most important thing according to the majority (26%) is to live in well-protected accommodationthen comes the presence of trusted loved ones (17%), then maintaining good relationships with his neighborhood (15%) and finally the fact of having money to finance an unforeseen event (11 %).
Seniors specified the risks that worry them the most when they are at home, and it is not burglaries that top the list. The first source of concern concerns medical emergencieswith 26% fearing a malaise or loss of consciousness. Then come burglaries, with 25% fearing such an event, whether in their absence or in their presence. Then, 22% of respondents fear domestic accidents14% fear a potential fire and finally 6% a physical attack.
Steps to take to feel safer at home
However, in order to reassure themselves and feel safe, most seniors (64%) believe they have good knowledge in terms of behaviors, attitudes and reflexes to adopt. In order to reinforce this feeling, many of them are implementing concrete actions. The majority (87%) systematically lock their front door when returning home, maintain close relationships with their neighborhood (82%) and give a duplicate of their keys to a trusted person (81%). Also, 34% have a pet21% regularly invite relatives to sleep and finally 19% have installed an alarm system or of video surveillance.
Sources :
- Fewer residential burglaries since the health crisis in a majority of the territory – National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (Insee)
- Study: more than 6 in 10 seniors living alone do not feel safe at home – Verisure
