Home Safety Checklist

Each year, thousands of older Americans fall at home. Many of them are seriously injured and some are disabled. Falls are often due to hazards that are easy to overlook but many times, easy to fix. We have developed a checklist that can be used to help you find and fix those hazards in your home.

Check off each item that describes the situation in your home. Some items won't relate to your home. For example, if you have a single story home items related to stairs should be eliminated since they don't apply to you. Each item that gets no checkmark represents a potential hazard. We encourage you to print this checklist and use it in your home.

 Living Room

•  Arrange the furniture to create clear paths between rooms.
•  Think about removing low coffee tables, magazine racks, footrests, and plants from pathways in the rooms you will use with walkers or crutches.
•  Look for easy access light switches at entrances to your rooms so that you do not need to walk into a dark room to turn on the light. Glow in the dark switches may be helpful, or sound-activated lamps.
•  Look for loose rugs, and secure these with double faced tape or slip resistant backing.
•  In rooms with wall-to-wall carpeting - make sure that carpet is secure and there are no wrinkles or raised areas.
•  Make sure that electric appliance and telephone cords are out of your way, but do not put cords under a rug.
•  Identify wobbly chairs and tables - you could lean on them and fall.
•  If you have concrete, ceramic or marble floors, secured rugs in your path could lessen any injury if you fall.
•  Identify loose wood floorboards that need repair and plan to repair them.
•  Try to sit on furniture that is firm, high and has armrests to help you when you stand.
•  Consider a cordless phone you can keep by your side so you do not hurry to reach the phone.

 Bath/Bedroom

•  Grab bars on the bathroom walls, near the toilet or along the bathtub or shower can keep you balanced as you sit or rise. Ask your physician or nurse for more information.
•  A slip-resistant rug next to your bathtub or shower.
•  A mounted or suction liquid soap dispenser on the bathtub/shower wall may reduce the risk of falling while reaching.
•  Non-skid adhesive textured strips on the bathtub/shower floor can help reduce the risk of slipping on the surface.
•  A sturdy plastic seat (shower chair) can be placed in the bathtub if you feel unsteady or if you feel that you cannot safely lower yourself to the floor of the bathtub.
•  A raised toilet seat or a toilet seat with armrests may help you to keep your balance getting on or off the toilet.
•  Sit when shaving, brushing your teeth, fixing your hair or putting on make-up. An extra long mirror over the sink can be used when sitting.

•  Clear clutter from the floor so that nothing is in your way.
•  Have a lamp, flashlight and telephone near the bed.
•  Place nightlights along the path from the bedroom to the bath.
•  Can you get in and out of bed easily? If not, talk to your nurse or therapist about ways to raise the mattress.

 Kitchen

•  Take throw rugs out of the kitchen.
•  Any liquid, grease or food spilled on the floor needs to be cleaned up immediately before you slip. If you feel unsteady when you bend or kneel, ask your nurse or therapist to help you with a reaching tool you can use to clean without bending or kneeling.
•  Store your food, dishes and cooking equipment at an easy-to-reach, waist high level.
•  Do not stand on chairs or boxes to reach upper cabinets. Use a step stool with a handrail.
•  Use non-skid floor wax.
•  A counter-top toaster oven may be easier to use than leaning over to or trying to reach an oven.

 Stairs

•  Stairways are well lit
•  Steps have stair treads
•  Stairways have a strong handrail,
  preferably on both sides

 Carpeting and Area Rugs

•  Avoid using patterned or deep pile carpeting, solid colors show the edges of the steps more clearly.
•  If you have trouble seeing the edge of the stairs, put a brightly colored piece of tape at the edge.
•  Be careful walking from a carpeted room to a tile floor and back.

 Print the Home Fall Prevention Checklist

 Visit the Hidden Hazards House

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