Outdoors
Are you concerned about fall prevention and care in seniors? These are some preventive
strategies (at home and outdoors) for your loved ones to avoid falling and getting hurt.
Falling is quite common in older adults and can cause serious injuries as well. Apply these
strategies in your home and keep your loved ones safe and secure.
5 Ways to Ensure Senior Safety
These ways can help you make sure that your loved ones do not experience falls or severe
damage from the falls:
1.Remove home hazards:
Carefully examine your house and look for potential threats for fall hazards. To make sure your
home is safe for your seniors, you can take these steps to make your home safer:
∙Remove all electrical cords, phone cords, boxes, and newspapers, from walkways.
∙You should rearrange furniture to make sure these are not blocking pathways between
rooms.
∙Install handrails which should be 30 inches above the stairs on both sides of the stairs.
∙Install nightlights to keep the walkways well-lit in your home and consider a nightlight in
the bathroom. This is especially useful when your family members are trying to get to the
restroom in the middle of the night.
∙Secure all the loose area rugs with double-face tape, and tacks, or install slip-resistant
backing around the house.
∙Repair loose floorboards, cupboards, and carpets right away.
∙Clean spilled liquids, grease, food, or anything that makes a person fall, right away.
∙Store regular-use items within easy reach which include clothes, dishes, food, and other
necessities.
∙Use non-slip mats, especially in your bathroom or shower. Create a bath seat that allows
them to sit while showering.
∙Children should have a designated play area and teach them that they shouldn’t scatter
toys around the house which can be the reason for someone tripping and falling.
2.Exercise:
Exercise is one of the most effective ways to prevent falls in adults who are 65 years of age or
older. You can talk with your doctor and start an exercise program. They perform a basic fall risk
assessment to examine the risk of breaking bones in a fall, then create an exercise program that
helps you with your agility, strength, balance, and coordination.
It may include climbing stairs, jogging, hiking, dancing, weight training, and other activities that
focus on building bone strength and slowing the progression of osteoporosis, a condition that
weakens bones. Additionally, you can include bicycling and gardening to improve health and
quality of life.
3.Wear right footwear:
Wear properly fitting shoes to avoid falls. Avoid wearing high heels, floppy slippers, and shoes
with slick soles that make you slip and fall. Wear properly fitting footwear and shoes with
nonskid soles that make you walk easily and reduce joint pain as well. Replace slippers that are
stretched out of shape or are too loose.
4.Use assistive devices:
Your healthcare provider may recommend some assistive devices such as a cane and walker to
walk steadily if you have problems maintaining balance on your own. Other assistive devices
that you can fit in your home are handrails, nonslip treads, raised toilet seats with armrests, grab
bars in the shower or tub, and sturdy plastic seats in the shower or tub.
5.Light it right:
If your loved ones struggle with vision you need to make sure there are enough lights so that they
avoid tripping on objects that are hard to see. For that:
∙Install night lights in the bedroom, bathroom, and hallways.
∙Place a lamp within reach of their bed in case they need to get up in the middle of the
night.
∙Ensure the paths to the light switches are clear and they aren’t near room entrances.
∙Keep the lights on before going up or down stairs. …
