Slip And Fall Tips

Slip And Fall Tips

Falls are the second leading cause of accidents in the home and account for 8.9 million trips to the emergency room every year. Fortunately, most are preventable. With a few simple changes around the house, you can reduce your risk greatly. According to the National Safety Council there are lots of preventative measures that you can take to reduce your risk of becoming a statistic. Key problem areas include stairs and under lit, wet or cluttered areas.

1. KEEP THAT FLOOR CLEAN AND CLEAR. Clean up messes, spills and debris immediately. Clean up the things that naturally clutter the floor. Newspapers, books, shoes should all be put away. Reduce the clutter and you won’t have to tap dance so much.

2. BANISH THE CORDS. Tie up those computer cords and television cords and modem cords and… All those cords can cause a nasty fall. Draw them together and tie them off.

3. NON-SKID AREA. Use throw rugs and a non-skid bottom in areas that can be slippery such as kitchens and bathrooms. Consider putting down a permanent non-skid surface that can’t be removed.

4. LET THERE BE LIGHT. Upgrade the lower wattage bulbs to higher ones so you can see where you are stepping. Install night lights along whatever hallways or rooms you may use at night.

5. KEEP A STURDY STEP-STOOL AROUND in case you need to reach higher shelves. Better yet keep your most used items shoulder height.

6. BATHROOM SAFETY. Most likely the worst room in the house is the bathroom. We have already discussed a few things you can do but what about the tub? That’s a big step and for a lot of people a dangerous one. Consider these solutions: You can replace your tub with a walk-in shower or you can opt for a solution growing in popularity called The TubCut™. Here the existing tub is cut and a section is removed. Pieces are fit into place converting your tub into a walk-in shower and can be done in one day with no demolition. A Permanent Non skid surface on the floor of the tub and a few Safety Grab bars in the tub area as well as by the toilet these installations at the very least should be applied in the bathroom. 

“The TubCut™ is custom fitted to each tub and gives a finished look, is weight bearing and reversible,” said Paul Echavarria of Access Designs. “We have been installing TubCuts™ for  decades and we have dealers throughout out the USA & Canada”

According to Echavarria, it changes people’s lives. “It just one less thing to worry about. It increases you margin of safety,” he said.

By Charles Etgen Certified Aging in place consultant