Now that fall has begun, I feel it’s the perfect time to talk about how to optimize fall prevention in your home! Falls are some of the most common forms of injury, especially for the older population. We want to do everything we can to reduce the number of falls that occur as much as possible. So, here are a few simple tips and tricks we can all do to help prevent falls!
Keep Floors Clear
Falls often occur because a person trips over something on the floor. Therefore, it’s imperative to keep floors clean and free of clutter, especially if an older person lives in the home. In addition to keeping floors clear, it’s also a great idea to move any electrical cords and furniture that may be easy to trip over. Electrical cords can be challenging to see but very easy to trip over. In addition, making sure rugs and carpets are as flat as possible can significantly reduce the number of falls in those areas.
Remove Wax from Floors
Slipping on a tile floor is a significant contributor to falls that occur in homes. One of the easiest ways of preventing this is to switch to a wax-free cleaner. Switching to a wax-free cleaner will make tile floors much less slippery, thus reducing the likelihood of slipping on them.
Handrails
Making sure all stairways inside and outside the home have sufficient handrails will help make stairs more safe. Depending on the study, falls on stairways can account for around 7-36% of falls around the house. Therefore, making sure there are handrails on stairways can help reduce falls. Additionally, handrails can prove very effective in preventing falls in the bathroom. As bathrooms are the most common place for household accidents, it’s vital to ensure restrooms are as safe as possible. You can purchase handrails that are relatively easy to install from Lowe’s, Walmart, or other home improvement stores.
These simple steps can be a great help in fall prevention. If you’d like to learn more about how Aspire can help optimize fall prevention in your home, read our other blogs and give us a call today!
