Resources

Outdoors

• Install adequate lighting by doorways and along walkways leading to doors.
• 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.

All Living Spaces

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

Kitchen

• Keep commonly used items within easy reach.
• Use a sturdy step stool when you need something from a high shelf.
• Make sure appliance cords are out of the way.
• Avoid using floor polish or wax in order to reduce slick surfaces.

Bathrooms

• Use nonskid mats or carpet on floor surfaces that may get wet.
• Install grab bars on walls around the tub and beside the toilet, strong enough to hold your weight.
• Add nonskid mats or strips 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.

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.
• Avoid long sleeves and loose clothing while cooking.
• Use an easy-to-use microwave instead of a stove or oven.
• Have stove controls easily accessible.
• Keep pot handles turned to the back of the stove.

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 handrails 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.

Tips extracted from the Colorado State University Extension 

For more tips, contact our licensed home health and in-home senior care services agency , CareWorks Health Services.

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