Use this Independent Living Home Safety Checklist to help make your home safer. By correcting items answered "No" you can improve your home safety and help prevent accidents? Our home safety guide for seniors provides solutions for many home safety problems.
- Are there sturdy handrails or banisters by all steps and stairs?
- Is there adequate lighting in all stairs and hall?
- Is there a light switch at both the top and bottom of stairs?
- Are stairways and hallways clear of clutter and loose objects?
- Is there a light switch by the doorway of each room?
- Is there a flashlight, light switch or lamp beside the bed?
- Are all electric cords placed close to walls, out of path?
- Are rugs secured around all edges?
- Are rugs smooth and flat with no folds or wrinkles?
- Is there a list of emergency phone numbers by the phone? Fire, Police, Emergency, Ambulance?
- Are all medicines marked clearly including the name of medicine, date purchased, directions, when taken?
- Is there a non-skid surface on the floor of the bathtub or shower? Non-skid strips or rubber mat?
- Are there adequate hand holds for getting in and out of the shower or bathtub?
Home Safety Guide For Seniors
More accidents happen in the home than anywhere else, especially in the bathroom and kitchen. Making a home safe and accessible will allow seniors and people with disabilities to remain in their own home for as long as possible.
This Home Safety Guide for seniors outlines things to look for in the home and offers simple recommendations to make the home safer and more accessible for everybody.
Questions to Ask
- What disabilities does the individual have?
- Are the disabilities temporary, permanent, or progressive?
Steps to Take
- Assess the individual's ability to function in the home
- Note activities that are difficult to perform
- Note obstacles that prevent the individual from performing each activity
- Determine which types of home modification would be most useful
Is the individual having difficulty
in any of these areas?
- getting in and out of the home
- using the stairs
- moving from one room to another
- using the kitchen
- using the bathtub or shower
- using the toilet
- getting in and out of bed, chairs, sofas
- reaching items in closets and cabinets
- opening, closing or locking windows and doors
- operating light switches, faucets, kitchen appliances, laundry appliances
General Home Modification Options
To improve lighting and visibility:
- light switches should be close to room entrances and at the top AND bottom of stairways
- make sure there is a flashlight, light switch or lamp beside the bed
- use high-watt light bulbs in stairways and other hazardous areas
- place a night light in the path between the bedroom and bathroom
- install cordless battery-operated lights inside closets and cabinets
- install motion-sensitive lighting outside the home
To enhance safety and support:
- remove loose rugs
- secure mats with non-skid backing or double-sided carpet tape
- secure telephone and electrical cords
- install non-slip flooring, especially in kitchens and bathrooms
- use no-slip mats or non-slip shower strips in bathtubs and showers
- remove furniture from paths and walkways
- edge stairs with bright non-skid tape to highlight changes in floor levels
- install handrails and grab bars in stairways and bathrooms
- install a clamp-on support rail to the edge of the bathtub
- install an anti-scald device on faucets and shower heads
- install smoke detectors near kitchens and bedrooms
- Keep list of emergency phone numbers by the phone for Fire, Police, Emergency and Ambulance
- Install a body dryer in the shower to prevent falling when towel drying for people with balance problems
To improve accessibility and safety:
- utilize wheelchair ramps for steps going into the house and a threshold ramp
- use a seat assist device or furniture risers to make it easier to get up and down from chairs and sofas
- widen doorways with offset hinges
- install revolving shelves in kitchen cabinets
- convert a ground-floor room into a bedroom
- install hospital bed rails
- Install slide-out shelving or a pull-down closet rod in closets
- Replace round doorknobs with lever handles
- Install lever-handle faucets in kitchens and bathrooms
- Replace fixed shower heads with flexible hand-held shower head
- Install a Toilevator raised toilet base
- Add a fold down shower bench to the shower
- Buy clocks and telephones with large numbers and buttons
- For wheelchair users, add a collapsible shower dam and weighted shower curtains for easier access to the shower
Products that improve safety and accessibility
- wheelchair ramp
- automatic door opener
- stairway lift, wheelchair lift, elevator
- grab bars and handrails in bathrooms and stairways
- lever doorknob
- swing-away door hinges
- bath and shower seats
- hydraulic bath lift
- elevated toilet
- hands-free water faucet
- flexible hand-held shower head
- anti-scald device
- non-slip bath mat and adhesive strips
- smoke alarms, smoke detectors
- fire extinguishers
Fall Risk Assessment Checklist Fall Prevention For Seniors
Every year, seniors and older adults are seriously injured by falling, and many times they fall in their own home. The good news is, most falls can be prevented by simple changes in the home and lifestyle.
Grab bars and sturdy handrails at stairways
There are four simple, yet important things to do to prevent or at least minimize the risk of falling.
1. Have a Regular Exercise Program
Regular exercise improves balance and mobility, improves bone and muscle strength, and generally makes you feel better. It shouldn't be anything too strenuous - things like walking or Tai Chi are low-impact and are some of the best exercises.
2. Have Your Vision Checked Once a Year
If you don't wear glasses you may need them. And if you already have glasses the prescription may need to be updated. The eyes change as we age and ensuring you can see well will decrease your chances of falling.
3. Review Your Medications
Have your doctor or healthcare provider review your prescription and non-prescription medicines regularly to make sure everything is working properly. Over time, new medications may be added or removed from your regimen and this can effect how they all work together. The wrong medication combinations can cause dizziness or drowsiness which increases your risk of falling.
4. Make Sure Your Home is Safe
We perform hundreds of home safety evaluations each year and many times we find simple things that can be changed to make the home safer.
- Ensure proper lighting throughout the house both inside and outside
- Clear unnecessary clutter from any walking areas inside and outside the home
- Use non-slip shower strips in the tub and shower
- Install a fold-down grab bar next to the toilet
- Add grab bars in or next to the shower
- A padded shower bench can give you a place to sit if you feel dizzy while in the shower
- Use a step stool with a handle to reach in cabinets
- Keep frequently used items in a drawer or easy to reach area so you don't need to reach up high to retrieve them
- Install a Toilevator to raise your toilet
- A Super Pole can be used in the bedroom for getting in and out of bed safely
- Remove loose carpet or rugs that can cause you to trip
- Install handrails at stairways or an Advantage Rail - make sure current handrails aren't loose or broken
- Use a Couch Cane near sofas or chairs to make standing and sitting safer and easier
- Furniture Risers can increase the height of chairs and sofas and also make sitting and standing easier and safer
- Riser Recliner Chairs make it easier to to stand and sit
- A Handybar makes it safer and easier to get in and out of a car
- Place a Bed Cane Bed Rail near the bed so you have something sturdy as you rise out of bed
- Have a telephone in the kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom in case you do fall so you can call for help