We’ve made it no secret, here on the Advantage Home Health Solutions Blog, that slips and falls are among the highest culprits for hospitalizations in Canada. As can be expected, seniors are the most susceptible to slipping and falling in the home. The importance of safeguarding your home, therefore, cannot be understated. Ensuring that your stairwells are obstacle free, well-lit and covered with non-slip materials is an excellent start.
But what else can you do to prevent slips and falls in the home? Here are three simple ways:
1. Train your pets to stick to certain areas of the home.
Animal lovers can’t get enough of their pets. But for homes that inhabit elderly loved ones and/or individuals with mobility issues, it’s important to keep pets in designated areas. The staircase, for example, is often a place some dogs and cats like to nap. Be sure that your pet is trained to sleep in an area that is not used as a walkway. On Health.com, Carina Storrs explains that pets are known causes for falls in the home.
“Sure, they’re cute. You love them. But your dog or cat may be one of the bigger household hazards when it comes to falls,” she informs, “Pets are responsible for more than 86,000 fall-related injuries each year, according to the CDC. Pet-related falls are more common in women, people under 15, and in people ages 35 to 54. But that doesn’t mean you have to lead a pet-free existence. Obedience training for your pooch can help.”
2. Invest in an array of night lights.
Night lights are fairly inexpensive ways to ensure that your walkways are kept well lit at night. They’re not just for children’s rooms. They’re great for hallways as well. In the wee hours of the morning, the last thing you want is for your elderly loved one to slip and fall because he/she couldn’t properly see his/her route to the bathroom.
“Twenty percent of falls happen at night,” informs FamilyHandyman.com, “Fatigue and alcohol can be contributing factors, but poor lighting also plays a role. You can easily make outdoor steps and walkways a lot safer by adding inexpensive solar-powered path, deck and porch lights.”
3. Install grab bars in the bathroom.
As we’ve pointed out numerous times in the past, the bathroom is known for being the most likely room for a person with mobility issues to slip and fall. In fact, you don’t need to have any mobility issues to be susceptible to slipping in the bathroom. Its slippery surfaces make it a potential hazard for us all. Grab bars by the toilet and in the shower help to ensure that proper balance is maintained.
At Advantage Home Health Solutions, we offer an array of bathroom grab bars, shower grab bars and many other bathroom safety solutions. Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions about them. Give us a call at 403-460-5438. You may also email us by filling out the form on our Contact Us page!