Seven Best Ways to Prevent Falls in Your Home

• Remove all clutter from floors.  Keep halls and walking paths clear.
• Reorganize your kitchen and pantry shelves.  Keep everything you use on a regular basis on a shelf that’s easy to reach.  Avoid standing on your tiptoes or having to reach your arms high overhead to retrieve something.

• Improve your lighting.  Install nightlights in your halls and bathrooms.  You can also install glow-in-the-dark light switches, especially in your bedroom, so if you have to get up in the middle of the night you’ll easily be able to flip on the light.
• Use non-slip mats in your tub and shower.
• Get rid of the bars of soap and bottles of shampoo in your shower.  Replace them with dispensers installed on the walls.  Then you’ll never have to bend over to retrieve something you’ve dropped.
• Store a flashlight (check to see if the batteries are fresh!) in a drawer by your bed.
• Your may have to lower your bed.  If your bed is too high you can slip off the edge while you’re sitting on it or trying to get in or out of it.

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Prevent falls and fractures