Nine tips for staying safe at home, avoiding falls

Falls are the top cause of home injuries, sending over one million Americans a year to an emergency department for treatment.

“Most people think of their home as a safe haven – not as a likely spot for accidents. Conditions that you take for granted – a pile of items to take upstairs now stacked in a corner, a cord snaked across the floor to charge a cell phone – may be hazardous to your health,” Regene Collier of Baptist Health Home Care in Lexington said in a news release.

Collier suggests that you take a fresh look at your home environment and take these easy steps to remove hazards:

·        Create clear, uncluttered pathways.

·        Remove throw rugs or install non-skid backing on them.

·        Move electrical cords out of walkways. Coil or tape cords next to walls to avoid having to walk over or around them.

·        Make sure handrails on stairs are sturdy. Install handrails on both sides if possible.

·        Rearrange items in your kitchen so that you can reach them easily.

·        Place a light near your bed where it is easy to reach.

·        Install lights on stairs and night lights in hallways.

·        Use grab bars in the tub or shower.

·        Put a non-slick mat or stick on strips in the floor of the tub or shower.

Collier said making these changes to your home or office will help to reduce your risk of falling.