Slip and falls can happen to the healthiest of seniors. They can require surgery and create lasting mobility challenges. Taking precautions at home is an essential part of senior care. Familiarize yourself with limitations your loved one has and make the necessary changes in their home.

How to Prevent Slip & Falls at Home

1. Look at Health Care Needs

Has your loved one developed balance, strength, or vision issues from age or a recent health care diagnosis? It’s important to understand these challenges. You may want to invest in a walker or cane to keep them safe at home. If they suffer dizziness from medication, ask their geriatrician about alternatives. Muscle weakness from surgery could warrant a physical therapist. Managing direct personal challenges goes a long way for your loved one’s well-being.

2. Remove Common Threats

The edges of rugs, loose wires, and poorly lit areas are common causes of slip and falls. Take a tour of your loved one’s home. Remove small floor items that get in the way. Consider replacing rugs with non-slip mats, and add lights to dark hallways. Stairs present serious challenges. You may want to invest in a chair-lift depending on the extent and permanence of your loved one’s disability.

3. Add Safety Features

If your loved one is aging in place, make a few safety upgrades. Bathrooms are the most common places for slip and falls. Install grab bars around the toilet and in the shower. Use a tub bridge so they can enter more easily, and apply non-slip flooring covers over the tile.

You can add grab bars to kitchen counters, next to the bed, and in long hallways as well. Install voice- or motion-automated lights in rooms.

If your loved one is facing more and more challenges, consider hiring a senior care professional. Nurse Next Door® Arlington South of Arlington, TX, is proud to connect seniors with caregivers. Serving residents of Mansfield, Arlington, Pantego, Irving, Downtown Mesquite, and Dalworthington Gardens, this senior care agency provides 24/7 support, including specialized care for dementia patients. You can explore all their senior care services on their website. Receive more tips by connecting on Facebook or call (817) 608-7322 to schedule a consultation.