Best Fall Prevention Device to Prevent a Trip Over

The elderly are at higher risk of falls. The solution? A fall prevention device can help fall proof your home for the elderly.

Contributing factors to a trip over include the aging process aggravated by diseases that speed up functional decline in our various organ systems.

Cataracts reduce vision and increase missteps. Loss of muscle mass causes weakness and more postural unsteadiness. Diseases like stroke and dementia make people more dependent and increase risk of a fall or trip over.

Falls are the leading cause of injuries among older adults, many happened in their own homes, and a few inexpensive changes could lower your loved ones’ risk of a trip over.

Below we list each fall prevention device that can reduce the risk of a trip over for those who have a high risk, including the elderly, post stroke, postoperative and those with dementia.

Install handrails

Along indoor and outdoor staircases, hallways, and anywhere you feel you need a little extra support.

Install grab bars

Near showers, bathtubs, and toilets. Avoid using grab bars that “stick on” to shower titles with suction, which are less reliable than metal grab bars attached to wall studs.

Use non slip mats and treads

To help improve traction on the bathroom floors, shower, bathtub, outside decks, and outside steps.

Repair steps and flooring

Repair crumbling outdoor steps, loose wall to wall carpeting, uneven floor board.

Inexpensive fixes

Remove all floor clutter. Rearrange furniture so that it works well with the flow of traffic.

Improve lighting

Make sure you have adequate lighting in hallways, stairways, outdoor walkways and areas in which your loved ones will call in the middle of the night.