As you grow older, the chances that you will be involved in a major household fall increase. In fact, one out of every three people over the age of 65 have reported having a major fall. Fortunately, you can prevent most falls by taking care of the little things like making sure that you’re in a clutter-free environment or talking with your doctor about your eyesight.
Here are some steps that you can take to prevent falls around the home
Keep your cabinets closed
By keeping your cabinets closed, you are reducing the risk of running into any sharp corners that the doors have. We can’t tell you how many times that we’ve bumped our head or shoulder on an open pantry door or kitchen cupboard.
Clean up those messes
There are times when we think, “I’ll get to it later,” but the later never comes. When you spill ice on the floor, it inevitably leaves a puddle to trip over. How about if you drop a book in the living room? If you’re not reading it, it might become fodder for tripping.
Keep your stuff within reach
This is about organization. We often try to be supermen and women in our own homes, fully convinced that we can stand on our tiptoes to get bowls, plates, clothes, and other items off of the top shelf. Most of the time, this works, but occasionally a nasty spill can ensue. Keep what you use within easy reach to prevent this from happening.
Don’t be too proud to ask for help
If it’s too heavy, on a top shelf, or otherwise out of the way, don’t be afraid or too proud to ask for help getting it. You might want to invest in a reacher if you live alone, as you can reach for objects and keep your balance at the same time.
Take out the throw rugs
Having throw rugs in the house is an invitation for tripping and falling. How many times have your toes hit the edge of the rug and you stumbled? By removing all of the throw rugs, you are removing one more source of falls.
Because the bathroom is one of the most dangerous places in the house, we’ve created a special infographic which covers some of the equipment that you can get and precautions that you can take to prevent falls from happening. Preventing a fall could save a life!
