A single fall can change everything. Someone entirely independent finds themselves, after a broken hip, confined to bed and dependent on others. And it nearly always happens at home — in the place considered safest.
The good news: most hazards in the home can be fixed in an hour or two, cheaply, and without building work. Here is the checklist we recommend every family go through — drawn from what we see close up on our home visits.
The bathroom — the most dangerous room
Wet floors, slippery surfaces and a tight space. Start here:
- Non-slip strips or a mat in the shower and bath.
- Grab rails fixed to the wall beside the shower and the toilet. Do not rely on a towel rail or the shower door — they are not built to take a person's weight.
- A shower seat — someone who struggles to stand for long should not be "making an effort"; they should be sitting.
- A raised toilet seat makes getting up far easier.
- Remove the lock from the bathroom door, or make sure it can be opened from outside in an emergency.
Lighting — improves safety more than anything else
Eyesight declines with age, and in the dark the brain fills in detail that is not there.
- A night light along the route from the bed to the toilet. That is the route where most night-time falls happen.
- A switch beside the bed — so there is no need to cross a dark room.
- Replace blown bulbs at once, and increase the light level in corridors and on stairs.
- Illuminated switches are easy to find at night.
Walkways and floors
- Take up small rugs or fix them down with double-sided tape. A rucked-up rug is the number one cause of falls in the living room.
- Clear electrical cables out of walkways.
- Furniture — keep a clear path from the bed to the door, the toilet and the kitchen.
- Stairs — a firm handrail on both sides where possible, and clear marking on the first and last step.
The kitchen
- Move everyday crockery and food to a comfortable height — between waist and shoulder. There should be no need to climb on a chair.
- Check the gas is turned off. Where forgetfulness is a concern, consider an electric hob with automatic cut-off.
- A small extinguisher or fire blanket within reach.
Communication and emergencies
This is the part most often skipped:
- A phone within reach from every room, or a mobile kept on the person.
- An emergency call button — sometimes available as part of the long-term care benefit.
- A list of phone numbers in large print on the fridge: family, neighbour, emergency line, doctor.
- A key with a neighbour or relative — so that a locked door does not turn into hours of waiting.
- If the person lives alone, set up a daily check-in. A short call at the same time each day. A call that goes unanswered is a signal, not a nuisance.
What is not on the list
A good safety check also looks at what is absent: an empty fridge, medicines not taken, post piling up, a home that has not been cleaned. These are signs that the person needs help — not just the house.
We covered this in how to tell that an older relative needs help.
Do it together, not for them
One last piece of advice, and the most important: go through the list with the older person, not without them. A change made over someone's head feels like a loss of control, and is often resisted precisely when it is right.
"I want you to be comfortable" works far better than "you might fall".
At Yamim Tovim Ashdod we go into the homes of older people living alone and see these gaps close up. If you know an older person in Ashdod living alone with nobody to check, tell us. If you would like to be the person coming through the door, you can volunteer or give.