10 Safety Tips To Fall Proof Your Aging Parent's Home

As your parents and other senior loved ones navigate their golden years, their mobility might become a growing concern. Don't panic–you are not the only person with these concerns. Falls are a major culprit behind accidental fatalities, especially for those over 65. Even non-life-threatening falls can drastically alter your loved one's world. Often, that first tumble can be a tipping point, leading to a loss of independence they once cherished. This is precisely why taking steps to prevent falls for our seniors is extremely important. If you're finding yourself worrying more about your parents’ ability to get around safely, our team at Visiting Angels of Chelsea has some safety tips to fall-proof your aging parents’ home and help them avoid potentially life-altering accidents.

Attentive and Informed Care

“The Visiting Angels branch in Chelsea was extremely helpful during our time with them. They were responsive towards our needs always. Suzie, my mom's caregiver, was so caring and gentle with my mom. They got along perfectly and Suzie quickly became part of our family. I highly recommend Visiting Angels to any family who is looking for a caregiver. My experience with the Chelsea office has been excellent. They are accommodating and responsive to your needs and Suzie is absolutely amazing!”

Fall-Proofing an Aging Parent’s Home

If you’ve been wondering how to make your elderly parents’ home safer, here are ten tips that can greatly reduce the chance of slips and falls in the home:

• Remove Slippery Rugs and Carpets: A large number of seniors shuffle rather than lift their feet off the ground when walking. This can create problems if your loved one has any high-pile carpets or rugs in the home; shuffling over these loose floor coverings can lead to slips. In general, any rug or carpet in your senior’s home should require a decent amount of effort to move.

• Get Rid of All Throw Rugs: Throw rugs are also tripping hazards. If your loved one wants a throw rug, instead get them a non-slip rug pad. This will cover the floor without posing a risk to your loved one.
• Open the space: Move around the furniture around in your loved one’s home to make it easy for them to get around. Rearranging may require removing or downsizing things like end tables, storage cabinets, and other pieces of furniture.

• Make Necessities Easy to Access: Things like food, cooking utensils, hygiene supplies, and other necessities should be easy to reach. If these things are stored in high-up or hard-to-reach places, instead move them to easy-to-access places like coffee tables and countertops.

• Improve Lighting: Many seniors deal with impaired vision. To make sure your loved one can properly see where they’re going, ensure that their home has adequate lighting in all parts of their home.
• Consider Adding a Help Button: Despite best efforts, accidents and emergencies may still happen. Try to place these emergency buttons in easy reach of your loved one should they fall in the home.

• Hire a Professional Home Care Provider: At Visiting Angels of Chelsea, we provide outstanding in-home fall prevention services that can help your loved one stay safe at home. We can come to your loved one’s home and provide a thorough assessment of potential fall risks to create a plan of action and provide your loved one with individually-tailored with fall prevention tips at home.  Additionally, our team can provide assistance with tasks that may be physically challenging for your loved one like bathing, grooming, and getting around the house

Learn More About How We Can Help

If you would like to know more about our Safe and Steady Fall Prevention Program, reach out to us at (617) 409-9039 or via our online contact form to schedule a free care evaluation. One of our Angels will come to your loved one’s home to speak with you and your family about our home care services, costs, scheduling, and more. We look forward to helping your loved one safely enjoy their golden years!