Preventing Falls
Home Safety Check | Personal Checkup | Review Medications | Activity & Exercise | Feet & Shoes | Vision & Hearing | Get up Slowly | Canes & Walkers

Do a home safety check and remove or modify things that increase the risk of falling.

Research has shown that restraining people with a belt or vest does not prevent falls.
Karen Talerico, PhD, CNS

Is the lighting good in the hallways? Are they cluttered?

What about throw rugs? Is furniture arranged so there's a clear pathway between rooms?

Is it easy to tell where the toilet is in the bathroom? You can make it easier to see just by changing the color of the toilet seat so it contrasts with the rest of the room.

See also: Checklist for the House
See also: Checklist for Stairways

Links to other sites with information on this topic:

Preventing the Fall: Designs on Building Safe Homes for the elderly, by Gina Rollins.

When Slips Get Serious: The Basics on Fall-Proofing Your Home, by Sharon Lewis.

Prevent Falls! Guidelines from The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

Untie the Elderly, an educational and training program dedicated to eliminating the use of physical and chemical restraints in nursing facilities.