Your home can be more hazardous than you think. Because falls can happen anywhere and they pose a threat to your overall health and well-being, it’s important to lower your risk of falling by maintaining a safe living environment.
Ten ways to help prevent falls at home:
- Always wear shoes with non-slip soles, even inside your home. Don’t walk barefoot or wear slippers or socks instead of shoes.
- Use bright lights throughout your home, especially on the stairs.
- Have railings put on both sides of all stairs on the inside and outside of your home.
- Keep stairs and places where you walk clear of clutter. Pick up things you can trip over, like newspapers, shoes, or books.
- Remove small rugs or use double-sided tape to keep rugs from slipping.
- Keep kitchen items you use often in easy-to-reach cabinets.
- Have grab bars put inside and outside your bathtub or shower and next to your toilet.
- Use non-slip mats in the bathtub or shower.
- Stand up slowly after eating, lying down, or sitting.
- Have a trained professional perform a comprehensive room-by-room Home Safety Assessment to identify safety and fall hazards and accessibility issues