1. “No Fall Zone”:
A Caregiver’s Guide
to Safe Aging in
Place
Decreasing falls in the Home Environment
By: Melissa Avery, OT/S
Kimberly Cabral, OT/S
Christine Clark, OT/S
Courtney Reilly, OT/S
2. What is Occupational
Therapy?
• Occupations refer not only to jobs but also
tasks that people have to do or choose to do in
their every day lives.
• We enable people to continue living life to its
fullest through the use of
interventions, education, adaptation and
modification.
• We are knowledgeable about multiple
diagnoses and their impact on function.
3. Why stay at home?
• Over 90% of adults over age 65 prefer to stay
in their own home for as long as possible.
• Strong ties to home, community and culture
• Aging in place means more than an
environment to grow old in. It means home, a
place where memories and histories were
created.
4. Making Your Home
a “No Fall Zone”
Tips for keeping your loved one safe at home.
5. Facts About Falls
• Falls are a leading cause of injury among older adults.
• According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), one out of three
adults aged 65 and older fall each year.
• Of those falls, less than half tell their primary healthcare providers about
them.
• 19,700 older adults died from unintentional fall injuries in 2008.
• In 2009, 2.2 million non-fatal fall injuries in older adults were treated in
emergency departments, with 581,000 patients being hospitalized.
• Falls Among Older Adults: An Overview (2012) Retrieved May
1, 2012, from
http://www.cdc.gov/HomeandRecreationalSafety/Falls/adultfalls.html
6. Most Common Causes of
Falls in the Home
• No single factor causes all falls; however the risk of falls
increases with the amount of factors the person is exposed
to.
• Common Factors Include:
• Lack of Physical Activity
• Impaired Vision
• Medication Use
• Environmental Factors
• Uncontrolled Diabetes
• Poorly-fitted Shoes
• Muscle Weakness
What is the role of home modifications in fall prevention (2011)
Retrieved May 1, 2012, from
http://www.homemods.org/about_us/index.shtml
7. Home Modifications Can
Help to Prevent Falls!
• Home modifications lessen the physical demands
placed on the older person during every day activities
• They increase the older person’s safety in their own
environment, allowing them to continue to live in their
home for as long as possible
• Home modifications can range from very inexpensive
to expensive, but there are many modifications that
can be done by caregivers
• Here are some modifications you can make to keep
your loved one safe!
8. Throughout the Home…
• Walking surfaces are as level as possible
• Use slip-resistant floor coverings such as low-pile carpeting or rough tile
• Increase lighting
• Color contrasts (lighter color flooring, darker walls)
• Install wall-mounted light fixtures
• Eliminate use of extension cords
• Relocate light switches or install environmental control units that turn on when
the person claps or enters a room
• Eliminate cluttered hallways
• Remove scatter rugs
• Clean spills immediately
9. Kitchen
• Increase door width to 30 inches to allow walkers to
pass through
• Move frequently used objects / products to lower
shelves or countertops to avoid over-reaching
• Slip-Resistant Tile
• Install “drop down” shelving (see picture next slide)
• Ensure that a seated food preparation area is available
• Combine food preparation area with dining area to
eliminate need to transport plates of food
10. Seated Food
Preparation
Area
Stove allows
cooking while
seated
Drop-Down Cabinet Shelving
11. Bathroom
• Always keep a night-light on
• Install grab bars in tub/shower and near toilet
• Non-Skid shower surface
• Vary colors in the bathroom for easy visual identification (ie, add decorative, colorful
decals to shower if same color as toilet, etc)
• Bathroom rugs with non-skid backing only
• Walk-In shower
• Hand-held shower
• Increase door width to allow for walker use
• Eliminate threshold if possible; if not, ensure that threshold is brightly colored
• Add shower chair/ tub bench
13. Stairways
• Install handrails on both sides of the stairs and extend them one
foot past the top and bottom stair
• Handrails should be at elbow height
• Use color contrasts on first and last steps
• Limit stair rise to 7 inches, tread should be at least 11 inches
• Install light switches at top and bottom of stairs
• Ensure carpeting is secured to the stairs
• Install a stair lift if your loved one becomes unable to ascend
stairs safely
15. Bedroom
• Install a night-light
• Place a lamp at the bedside
• Make clear paths
• Store flashlights in easy to find locations in case of
power outages
• Install bed rails to make getting in and out of bed safer
• Organize closets to eliminate clutter and make items
easy to obtain
16.
17. Remember…
• Always contact your loved one’s doctor if you
notice that they are falling or seem more
disoriented
• Be sure to discuss medication use with the
doctor and the impact that the meds can have
on falling
• Occupational therapists can perform in-home
evaluations to assess what modifications your
loved one can benefit from
