Fall Proofing Your Home: Simple Changes for Home Safety
NIH Senior Health has provided a list of simple changes for home safety for older adults. Six out of every ten falls happen at home. With some simple changes to your living area and personal and lifestyle changes, you have the potential to prevent falls. These changes include:
- An important step toward preventing falls at home is to remove anything that could cause you to trip or slip while walking.
- Arrange furniture to give you plenty of room to walk freely.
- Be sure that carpets are secured to the floor and stairs.
- Put non-slip strips on floors and steps.
- At home and elsewhere, try to avoid wet floors and clean up spills right away.
- Be careful when walking outdoors, and avoid going out alone on ice or snow.
- During the winter, ask someone to spread sand or salt on icy surfaces.
- Make sure you have enough lighting in each room, on stairways, at entrances, and on outdoor walkways.
- Place a lamp within easy reach of your bed. Put night lights in the bathroom, hallways, bedroom, and kitchen.
- Have handrails installed on both sides of stairs and walkways.
- Properly placed grab bars in your tub and shower, and next to the toilet, can help you avoid falls, too.
- You might find it helpful to rearrange often-used items in your home to make them more accessible.
For more information, visit http://nihseniorhealth.gov/. You can also take a quiz to see how much you know about falls in seniors.
IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS & WEB LINKS
- Visitation Line: 604-438-4010 ext. 830
- Canada Pension Plan
- Retirement Pension, Disability Benefits, Death Benefit, Children's Benefits, Survivor's Pension: 1-800-277-9914
- HandyDart (everyday): 604-575-6600
- HealthLink BC (24/7): 811 or www.healthlinkbc.ca
- Seniors Health Care Support: 1-877-952-3181
- Seniors Distress Line (24/7): 604-872-1234 or www.crisiscentre.bc.ca
- Community and Govt. Services (24/7): 211 or www.bc211.ca