As you age, your body may become more fragile and you’re bound to feel nervous on your feet. However, you can protect yourself by following a few tips. Get your family members to help you implement these strategies: decluttering and organizing the space at home, wearing anti-slip footwear, and getting products that can help reduce the risk of accidents. Here are some great strategies to prevent slips and falls at home.
Organize the Space to Prevent Accidents
You can avoid slips and falls from the get-go by organizing your home environment. In most residences, this involves decluttering and trash collection! We advise you to rope in a family friend or neighbor who can help with the removal of unwanted items from walkways. Some common objects that can cause slips and falls include pet bowls, phone cords and electric wires. You can choose to move these items to a safe space or consider disposing of them entirely. Your eyesight may weaken with age and so it is important to make sure that your living spaces are well-lit. Ensure that light switches are well within reach too, and remind your senior family members to flip the light switches on before moving about the house. Lastly, always keep flashlights handy in case of emergencies like power trips.
Wear Anti-Slip Footwear to Avoid Slips and Falls
Another important step you can take to avoid unnecessary falls is to wear anti-slip footwear. We strongly encourage you or your loved ones to wear durable, well-insulated footwear around the house such as running shoes. Running shoes are a safe bet for several reasons. Firstly, they often have streamlined designs to give them more stability, which will help you to maintain your balance more easily. Secondly, if you do fall, you will be safe from major injury thanks to the extra padding that most of these running shoes provide. You should avoid walking around the house barefoot or in sandals as accidents are more likely to occur with these two options.
Buy Safety Furniture to Avoid the Likelihood of Falls
Over half of all falls involving the elderly occur at home. In bathtubs, showers, and pools, you should use non-skid mats, safety treads or self-adhesive tapes to prevent skidding. Non-skid rugs should be used on bathroom floors, and pads should be used under rugs on bare floors. Grab bars should be installed on both sides of the toilets and bathtubs. Handrails should also be installed in the shower and anywhere else where they are needed. Discard any throw rugs or secure them to the floor with double-sided tape. These easy techniques will help to minimize the risk of falls for you and your loved ones.
Senior Living at Rittenhouse Village At Muhlenberg
With so many potential hazards in the home environment, it is natural for your family members to feel apprehensive about you living alone. If you are thinking about moving into a senior living community in Reading, Pennsylvania, we would like to invite you to tour our beautiful community. Our resort-style senior living apartment homes are stunning and feature adequate lighting, anti-slip tiles on leveled floors, railings and grab bars at walkways and the bathroom, and more! Contact us to schedule a tour today!
