Fall Prevention: How to Make Your Home Safer for Seniors

Are you aware that falls are the leading cause of injuries in older adults? For seniors, a bad fall can result in cuts, fractures, and even serious brain injuries. Aside from poor mobility or vision loss, falls can be caused by trip hazards found at home. In addition to receiving help from a home care provider, it is also important to make adjustments in the senior’s home to further decrease the risk of falls.

Likewise, today’s blog will discuss tips to help make your senior loved one’s home safer to prevent falls:

Identify and Remove Trip Hazards
Trip hazards can be things like loose carpet floorboards and throw rugs. Examine each room in the household, especially the rooms where your loved one frequents the most. At times, fixtures can contribute to falls. These may need to be removed or replaced for more effective fall prevention.

Improve Lighting
In some cases, poor lighting may also cause falls, especially for seniors with declining vision. Install brighter light bulbs where needed, such as narrow hallways and bathrooms. This will provide better guidance at night.

Clean Up Clutter
Perhaps the easiest way to prevent falls at home is to remove clutter. This may include stacks of old books and magazines, mail, and other items from staircases and hallways. Other examples of clutter include loose wires and unused items to keep the home neat.

Install Assistive Devices
Safety devices can help seniors go up and down the stairs, get on and off the toilet, and step in and out of the bathtub without injuring themselves. Items grab bars, handrails, and shower chairs can help increase safety in the bathroom and key areas at home like the bedroom, kitchen, hallways, and stairways.