Home Safety & Modification

Outdoors

• Repair cracks and abrupt edges of sidewalks and driveways.
• Install handrails on stairs and steps.
• Remove high doorway thresholds.
• Trim shrubbery along the pathway to the home.
• Keep walk areas clear of clutter, rocks and tools.
• Keep walk areas clear of snow and ice.
• Install adequate lighting by doorways and along walkways leading to doors.

All Living Spaces

• Use a change in color to denote changes in surface types or levels.
• Secure rugs with nonskid tape as well as carpet edges.
• Avoid throw rugs.
• Remove oversized furniture and objects.
• Have at least one phone extension in each level of the home and post emergency numbers at each phone.
• Add electrical outlets.
• Reduce clutter.
• Check lighting for adequate illumination and glare control.
• Maintain nightlights or motion-sensitive lighting throughout home.
• Use contrast in paint, furniture and carpet colors.
• Install electronic emergency response system if needed.

Bathrooms

• Install grab bars on walls around the tub and beside the toilet, strong enough to hold your weight.
• Add nonskid mats or appliqués to bathtubs.
• Mount liquid soap dispenser on the bathtub-wall.
• Install a portable, hand-held shower head.
• Add a padded bath or shower seat.
• Install a raised toilet seat if needed.
• Use nonskid mats or carpet on floor surfaces that may get wet.

Kitchen

• Keep commonly used items within easy reach.
• Avoid using a step stool.
• Make sure appliance cords are out of the way.
• Avoid using floor polish or wax in order to reduce slick surfaces.

Living, Dining and Family Rooms

• Keep electrical and telephone cords out of the way.
• Arrange furniture so that you can easily move around it (especially low coffee tables).
• Make sure chairs and couches are easy to get in and out of.
• Remove caster wheels from furniture.
• Use television remote control and cordless phone.

Bedroom

• Put in a bedside light with a switch that is easy to turn on and off (or a touch lamp).
• Have a nightlight.
• Locate telephone within reach of bed.
• Adjust height of bed to make it easy to get in and out of.
• Have a firm chair, with arms, to sit and dress.

Stairways, Hallways and Pathways

• Keep free of clutter.
• Make sure carpet is secured and get rid of throw rugs.
• Install tightly fastened hand rails running the entire length and along both sides of stairs.
• Handrails should be 34 inches high and have a diameter of about 1.5 inches.
• Apply brightly colored tape to the face of the steps to make them more visible.
• Optimal stair dimensions are 7.2 inch riser heights with either an 11 or 12 inch tread width.
• Have adequate lighting in stairways, hallways and pathways, with light switches placed at each end.

Additional Resources

CDC Check for Safety Brochure

A Home Fall Prevention Checklist for Older Adults

Preventing Falls at Home: Room by Room (National Institute on Aging)

Home Safety Innovations

A local resource specializing in rental ramps and other home safety equipment to keep you safe in your home, serving Wisconsin and Eastern Minnesota.