Home Safety Solutions

Expert Column

Ernest Rosenbaum, MD

Ernest Rosenbaum, MD, is Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San...read more

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Supportive Homecare

January 23rd, 2008

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Following are a few safety precautions that will help make your home a safe place. For ideas and tips on assistive devices that can help you with everyday tasks click here.

Remove throw rugs.
Clear floors of all small objects such as bathroom scales or doorstops, to reduce the risk of slipping or tripping.
Install additional phones to avoid tripping over extension cords.
Avoid wearing loose or floppy slippers or shoes.
Check all stairs and thresholds for loose hardware or carpet.
Since most falls occur on the bottom step of stairs, make that step highly visible by painting it a different color or enduring that it is well lit.
Hold onto railings. Install railings if you don't have them already.
Keep a lamp beside your bed so you don't stumble in the dark.
To prevent dizziness when you first get out of bed, sit and dangle your feet for a moment before standing up.
Use electric heating pads with caution; you may misjudge the heat.
Check the bathroom. Put adhesive-backed rubber strips in the tub or shower to prevent slipping. Buy soap on a cord and hang it around the faucet or your neck.
In the kitchen, do not reach across a hot burner.
Have a large, easy-to-read list of emergency numbers, including fire, police, relatives and friends, near the telephone.