As many elders today are choosing to stay in their homes rather than living in nursing homes and other forms of senior care, it is more important to implement safety practices that may prevent them from falling. Stairs or steps are one of the more dangerous areas around the house to fall in. In this first series, we put together some of our suggestions and other tips discussed in the Eldercare Locator checklist.
Stairway Fall Prevention Tips:
- Implement handrails on both sides– a second handrail can be purchased at a home improvement store inexpensively and installed easily into your wall with a few tools.
- Securely tighten any handrails that aren’t sturdy– this can often be done by tightening the screws with a screwdriver.
- Remove or secure any loose rugs near the top or bottom of the stairway. Double-sided rug tape can be used to secure them in place which will prevent elders from slipping on them or tripping over an edge that comes up.
- Ensure the stairs are sufficiently illuminated. Since elders often have a reduced eyesight and depth perception, adequate lighting is essential to see the next step.
Suggestions for Seniors with Limited Mobility
If your senior requires a walker and has trouble walking on their own, it may be best to ask them not to use stairs. However, stair lifts can be installed for a more drastic way to prevent falls and ensure mobility at home, but these can cost a few thousand dollars.
If your senior likes to move around the house to check on things such as in the basement and not know their limitations, you might want to install a temporary lock if they don’t necessarily need to go there.
We Can Help!
We hope these tips and suggestions give you some guidance on preventing falls on stairways. Regardless of how much safety precautions have been put into place, it is a good idea for your senior to have assistance around the house. Our caregivers are an essential step to help seniors safely maneuver stairways, steps and other areas around the home.
Contact us here for more information about our home caregiver services in Cincinnati, Dayton & Erlanger. Rest assured, knowing there is always someone watching over them and preventing costly falls.
I would like to Thank you for sharing this great blog here. Nowadays, falling is a major medical issue in old aging. Stroke, dementia, high blood pressure, heart diseases etc are reasonable for the risk of fall. You have explained every factor and tips on how to prevent it here are very helpful. Everyone should read this blog and prevent their old age parents and our seniors from fall.
Keep posting such more.