It’s safe to say that many elders need to be extra careful when moving around, even in the comforts of their own homes – this is all to protect their well-being. When someone above the age of 65 gets hurt that way, it complicates things a lot, not only is the wound compromising their health in general, something as small as a broken arm can be lethal! So to prevent injuries from happening, you need to fall-proof your home, and here’s how to do it!
1. Focus on the bathroom
Probably one of the most dangerous places for an elder to fall, bathrooms should be your top priority when fall-proofing your home. Even a little bit of water on the floor can cause a lot of damage, as well as when entering and exiting the bathtub or shower, so you should cover the whole floor with mats and rugs that won’t move around. This way, even if the floor gets a bit wet, the person can easily walk on it, as there would be a protective layer of fabric and material. Installing something to grab on in the shower or bathtub is a bonus!
2. Reorganize
If you want to help your elderly parents or grandparents, it’s a good idea to reorganize their home to suit their needs better. Depending on their level of mobility and general activity, their space should be arranged to accommodate them best. To avoid falls and injuries, it might be a good idea to place things where they are easier to reach, make each room more suitable for the person so they can move freely. Also, you can switch rooms, making their room near the bathroom – so that they don’t need to take extra steps along the way!
3. Remodel
If you can, remodeling your home is also an option to help your elderly family avoid danger, and make their daily lives easier. If you have a home with multiple stories, it can be difficult for elders to climb up and down, as stairs can be tricky for them depending on their mobility. But adding a lift is a good option to look into, as you can see from this in-depth guide that explains how home lift installation works and how you can add them to your residence, it might not be such a bad idea. It’s good to have a lot of options at your disposal and choose the one that will satisfy the ones in need!
4. Make use of regular items
If you need a quick fix, you can always make good use of items you already have around the house. Night tables and sturdy stalls are a good thing to place around the house – primarily along the path where the elder in question walks, this way they can hold onto something if they lose balance, it’s better than having nothing! Also, you can put a heavy couch, a sofa, and bigger chairs as well, just so the person can walk alongside something for added balance and safety!
5. Get rid of clutter
Let’s face it, every home has at least some unnecessary items lying around, that’s just creating a problem for those with mobility problems. If you have small children or dogs around the house, make sure you clean all the toys so the elderly person doesn’t accidentally step on anything and fall down. On the other hand, decluttering the home, in general, is a great idea, just to make more surface spaces clean and usable for the elderly to hold onto! You want to get rid of all the items, clothes, toys, unnecessary decor – basically anything that can compromise someone and make them fall down accidentally!
6. Secure your whole house
You should go around your home and inspect it, this way you can best determine what areas are more dangerous and what are okay. The second phase should be securing your home, fixing the floors – if any tiles are broken, making sure the stairs have handrails so the elderly person can go up and down the stairs safely! Removing small rugs that are slippery and easy to move is a great idea, to prevent any accidental slips! Adding automatic lights that turn on and off on command is a great detail, so the elderly person doesn’t have to move much around the room in the middle of the night!
At the end of the day, just make a list of things that are crucial to make your home fall-proof and work on problem areas of your home – especially where the elderly person spends most time! Don’t be afraid to go overboard with precautions, as it’s always best to be safe than sorry!
