Room By Room: Easy Tips to Making Your Home Safer for Seniors

The thought of taking on the project of making your home safer for seniors living with you may seem overwhelming. But tackling it in small room-by-room steps may be easier than you think.

Bathroom:

• Install grab bars in the bathtub/shower and around the toilet. Also add traction to the tub with non-stick decals at the bottom.
• Add a raised toilet seat if the current one is too low.
• Lay a bathmat down that doesn’t move when stepped on.
• Turn the water heater down to 120 degrees or below to avoid accidental burns.
• Add nightlights for nightly visits to the bathroom.

Bedroom:

• Remove throw rugs and check for bumps in carpeting that can cause a trip or fall.
• Make sure furniture is sturdy.
• Remove excess furniture and clutter that can make walking aids harder to use in the space.
• Make sure a phone is accessible.
• Assess the height of the bed. A height low enough to easily sit on but not too low it is hard to get out of is ideal.
• Check for electrical cords that might be in the way and move out of the way.
• Make sure room lighting is adequate and any switches are in easy to reach locations. Add a night light that illuminates the room enough to easily see shapes and objects.

Hallway:

• Check for and remove any clutter, cords or rugs that can cause tripping. Also, check for lumps in carpeting that can cause tripping.
• Provide enough light to see easily.
• Mark the bathroom door to distinguish it from any others.

Kitchen:

• Move commonly used items to easy to reach areas of the cabinets or shelving.
• Remove clutter on countertops.
• Remove throw rugs or excess chairs.
• Add a fire extinguisher near the stove.
• Create a space for pots and pans in an easier to reach location than below the countertop. Consider hanging pans on a nearby wall or storing in a higher shelf or a close by kitchen cart.

Living Area:

• Clear away clutter and throw rugs that might cause a fall or trip. Check carpeting for lumps.
• Check that there is enough light in the room and the switches are in easy to reach areas. Remote control lighting may be an option to look into.
• If the furniture is not sturdy or a height that is difficult to sit down in or get up from, consider replacing.

Stairs:

• Have non-slip flooring at the top and bottom of the stairs and consider a runner if the staircase isn’t carpeted.
• Install hand rails that are easy to reach and grab. Make sure they are sturdy and secure.

Outside:

• If there are stairs, install hand rails or make sure existing ones are sturdy.
• Make sure there are lights along the walkway and on porch.

Breaking up the task into a room by room assessment makes the project of creating a safer home less daunting for you, and safer for the senior joining your home.