Most fall injuries occur in a person's home. Here are a few handy tips to reduce of risk of falling where you live.
Start with the stairs. Make sure that they are well lighted. You might want to put up extra lighting, such as a night-light or wall sconces. On the stairs you can use strips of reflective tape so people will know where to step; this is a good thing to do outside on the porch or patio so if you forget to turn on your exterior light, you will be able to see when you come home. Then consider adding guardrails. Your steps will be safer if you have a rail on both sides, but even one will help. Don't set things on the steps where people might trip over them.
Mount adequate lighting in the basement in case one light bulb burns out, you can turn on another lamp. Place one near the breaker switch in the fuse box. Remove all clutter from this area as well, and check to be sure the floor is dry and even.
Next, if you mop or wax your floor and have to leave, hang a small rope across the entrance with a sign saying, "wet floor." If you don't want to attach a string with a sign, set a chair or anything bulky before the entrance with a sign to keep family members away and protect them from slipping on the wet surface. Do the same if anyone is making home improvements anywhere in the house because there might be nails, small pieces of dry wall, or a tool that someone can trip over.
Teaching the children at a young age to pick up their toys will prevent an accident and keep their playthings in good shape. Avoid leaving anything on the floor to pick up later, because you never know when something will come up and you might have to leave unexpectedly. Then someone else will come home and you won't be able to mention the things lying about.
Rugs and doormats should be secured to the floor with non-skid tape. First wash all the rugs and doormats. Then clean the floor. Make sure you give the area plenty of time to dry. Turn the rug or mat over. Line the tape from corner to corner. Next run your tape from end to end about every foot. Make sure you know where you are going to lay down the rug so you don't have to pull it back up. Otherwise you might lose some of the tape's grip. Once it is down, step on it and push down. Be sure that the rug can't slide.
Other things you can do to prevent falls are to use night-lights in the halls and bathrooms, or other areas that family members visit at night. Use stepladders when you need to change light bulbs; don't stand on chairs that can bend under your weight or slip away as you try to mount. Don't carry so much in your arms that you can't see where you are walking when going up or down the stairs. And if it is raining or snowing outdoors, take your shoes off when you come inside.
With a little planning and caution, you can reduce your family's risk of falling and injury accidents.
