Home modifications to prevent falls
Kitchen
• Remove throw rugs.
• Clean up immediately any liquids, grease, or food spilled on the floor.
• Store food, dishes, and cooking equipment within easy reach.
• Do not stand on chairs or boxes to reach upper cabinets.
• Use nonskid floor wax.
Stairs
• Keep stairs clear of packages, boxes, or clutter
• Light switches should be at the top and bottom of the stairs. Or, consider installing motion-detector lights which turn on automatically when someone walks by.
• Provide enough light to clearly see each stair and the top and bottom landings.
• Keep flashlights nearby in case of a power outage.
• Remove loose area rugs from the bottom or top of the stairs.
• Replace patterned, dark, or deep-pile carpeting with a solid color, which will show the edges of steps more clearly.
• Put non-slip treads on each bare-wood step.
• Install handrails on both sides of the stairway. Each should be 30 inches above the stairs and extend the full length of the stairs.
• Repair loose stairway carpeting or wooden boards immediately.
Bathroom • Place a slip-resistant rug adjacent to the bathtub for safe exit and entry.
• Mount a liquid soap dispenser on the bathtub/shower wall.
• Install grab bars on the bathroom walls.
• Keep a nightlight in the bathroom.
• Use a rubber mat or place nonskid adhesive textured strips inside the tub.
• Replace glass shower enclosures with non-shattering material.
• Stabilize yourself on the toilet by using either raised seat or a special toilet seat with armrests.
• Use a sturdy, plastic seat in the bathtub if you cannot lower yourself to the floor of the tub or if you are unsteady.
Bedroom
• Place a lamp, telephone, or flashlight near your bed.
• Sleep on a bed that is easy to get into and out of.
• Replace satiny sheets and comforters with products made of nonslippery material such as wool or cotton.
• Arrange clothes in your closet so that they are easy to reach.
• Install a nightlight along the route between your bedroom and the bathroom.
• Keep clutter off the bedroom floor.
Living Areas
• Arrange furniture so you have a clear pathway between rooms.
• Keep low-rise coffee tables, magazine racks, footrests, and plants out of the path of traffic.
• Install easy-access light switches at room entrances so you will not have to walk into a dark room in order to turn on the light. Glow-in-the-dark switches also may be helpful.
• Walk only in well-lighted rooms, stairs, and halls.
• Do not store boxes near doorways or in hallways.
• Remove newspapers and all clutter from pathways.
• Keep electric, appliance and telephone cords out of walkways, but do not put cords under a rug.
• Do not run extension cords across pathways; rearrange furniture.
• Secure loose area rugs with double-faced tape, tacks, or slip-resistant backing.
• Do not sit in a chair or on a sofa that is so low that it is difficult to stand up.
• Repair loose wooden floorboards right away.
• Remove door sills higher than a half inch.