
If you have an elderly loved one living in their own home, here are a few suggestions: have a walk through the home first and think about areas where someone with limited mobility might have a problem. The bathroom is a high-risk area for slipping and falling accidents. Check that there are enough grab bars around the bathroom. You also want to make it as slip resistant as possible with rubber backed mats and anti-slip mats in the bath tub.
Another area is phone cords or electrical wires stretching over walk through areas, these can become an easy trip hazard, not to mention fire hazard in the case of electrical corded appliances. Can you fix these cords against a wall to keep them out of the way? If that’s not an option, maybe rearranging the furniture so that cords are closer to electrical outlets would be a good idea.
Other high-risk areas of the home are staircases. It is a good idea to have sturdy handrails on both sides of the stairs. Rugs and carpeting are another trip hazard, particularly if they do not have proper rubber backing or if the carpet becomes loose.
As you look around the home you will, no doubt, observe other areas that need adjusting. The above suggestions are a good start towards accident prevention for our elderly loved ones.