Safety Tips For Seniors

The Home Safety Council's national report on home injuries attributes almost one-third (1/3) of all unintentional home injury deaths each year to falls from stairs and steps. However, the Home Safety Council provides several helpful suggestion to increase the safety of your steps and stairway areas so your chances of falling will be substantially reduced. We have listed these recommendations below for your reference:

• Keep stairways and steps clear of all objects. Never use the stairs as temporary storage or for displaying decorative items.
• Use the handrail. (All stairways and steps, no matter how short, should have handrails on both sides.)
• Keep your steps clean and free of any loose interfering obstacles such as worn or loose carpeting or protruding carpet tacks.
• Some stair surfaces can be slippery. If your steps have a smooth surface, try to install something to reduce the slippery nature of the surface such as an anti-slip tread to provide safer traction.
• Do not place throw rugs at the top or bottom of a stairway because they can slide or the edges can become curled which can cause a person to trip. If it is necessary to put a rug at the bottom of a stairway, make sure it has a skid-resistant backing and use carpet tape to keep the corners from curling.
• Increase your visibility in your stairway and step areas by installing bright lights and on/off switches at the top and bottom of each stairwell and over porches and entryways.
• If you have steps outside your home, make sure that the stairs are always kept free from slippery items such as ice and snow.