Easy Home Fixes to Prevent Falls

One in Four senior falls every year. More falls happen at home then anywhere else.

Working in Occupational Therapy, many of the clients who came in had injured themselves from a fall. Many of the injuries we would see would be broken hip, ankle, arm, or wrist.

Many times while seniors live at home they can be resistant to use a walker or wheelchair. We encourage the use of a wheel chair or walker if they are unsteady. Also to continue use throughout the home. We do not encourage furniture walking as it can be easy to miss a piece of furniture or it to move and your loved one to fall. The most common placed in the home to fall are Bedroom, Stairs and Bathroom.

Fall risks that take place in the bedroom can be simple items such as rugs. A simple trip over a throw rug could cause someone to fall. Also small items on the floor. Even knick-knacks or decoration items could cause a hazard. We recommend limiting items on the floor and making sure there is a bedside lamp and additional adequate lighting throughout the room. If you loved one has difficulty making it to the bathroom at night. There is a 3 in 1 commode you could place by their bedside to limit trips to the bathroom.

In the bathroom you want to limit rugs and make sure the rugs you use have rubber backing so no one slips on them. Utilize grab bars near the shower to assist in maintaining balance while getting in and out of the shower or bathtub. If your loved one is not steady and displays difficulty standing in the shower. We suggest getting a shower chair for your loved one to sit on while showering. There is also a two in one shower chair that will partially go outside of the shower so your loved one can sit down while standing on dry surface and slide along the bench into the shower. We also can suggest a raised toilet seat to ease your loved ones ability to get on/off the toilet.

On the stairs, make sure there is a railing to assist in going up and down the chairs. We suggest avoiding runners along the stairs to avoid tripping hazard for your loved one. We also suggest encouraging your loved one while going up and down stairs to take their time, use the railing and watch their feet and steps while going up and down.

Falls can be avoided if proper precautions are taken and I'm sure your loved one will thank you while you're looking out for their best interest and making minor changes.