University of FloridaSolutions for Your Life

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Publication #FCS2228

Fall Prevention: Solutions for the Home1

Leigh Ann Martin2
Your home can present many physical challenges as you age, but corrections can be made to better meet your needs. Below is a list of possible home modifications.

Limited Reach

  • Lower the shelves three inches from the standard height in the kitchen, closets, and other storage areas for easier access.

  • Install a handheld showerhead to allow showering while sitting on a bath bench or chair.

  • Install peepholes in the front door at the right height for you.

  • Use height adjustable closet rods to keep your clothes within reach.

Limited Vision

  • Purchase a telephone with a large number keypad.

  • Increase the wattage of light bulbs.

  • Install overhead lights and night-lights near walkways, stairs, and entrances.

Limited Flexibility or Lifting Ability

  • Choose u-shaped or d-shaped handles for cabinets and drawers, they are easier to grasp.

  • Install a single lever faucet to adjust water temperature and volume more easily.

Hearing Impairments

  • Purchase smoke detectors with strobe lights.

  • Be sure you can hear the doorbell throughout your house.

Limited Mobility

  • Use handrails on both sides of the stairs.

  • Install grab bars to help you get in and out of the bathtub safely.

  • Lower door thresholds to ½ inch or less.

  • Give patios, driveways, and stairs a textured surface to increase footing stability.

Footnotes

1.

This document is FCS2228, one in a series of the Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611. Publication date: April 2005. Please visit the EDIS Website at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu

2.

Leigh Ann Martin, MS, former assistant-in, Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611. Reviewed by Linda B. Bobroff, PhD, RD, LD/N, and Kristen Smith, MS, Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, University of Florida.

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension service.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Millie Ferrer-Chancy, Interim Dean.