What People Get Wrong About Fall-Proofing Your Home
Fall-Proofing Your Home: what people commonly get wrong, set against what published US guidance says.
About 1 in 4 adults 65 and older reports falling each year, and many falls happen at home where hazards can be fixed.
Key takeaways
- Older adults: about 1 in 4 adults 65 and older reports a fall each year
- Common hazards: loose rugs, clutter, poor lighting and stairs without railings
- Most useful single change: Remove throw rugs or secure them with double-sided tape.
- Commonest mistake: Standing on chairs to reach high shelves.
- See a doctor if any of the signs under "When to speak to a doctor" below apply to you.
What the guidance actually says
These are the numbers the corrections below are measured against.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Older adults | about 1 in 4 adults 65 and older reports a fall each year |
| Common hazards | loose rugs, clutter, poor lighting and stairs without railings |
| Bathroom | grab bars inside and next to the tub or shower and next to the toilet |
| Stairs | railings on both sides and good lighting at the top and bottom |
| Young children | window guards and safety gates help prevent falls |
Where people go wrong
Each of these is common, and each is a mistake in the sense that the guidance says otherwise.
- Standing on chairs to reach high shelves
- Walking in socks or loose slippers on hard floors
- Using baby walkers, which the American Academy of Pediatrics advises against
What to do instead
- Remove throw rugs or secure them with double-sided tape
- Add nightlights in bedrooms, hallways and bathrooms
- Have your eyes checked at least once a year
- Ask your doctor or pharmacist to review medicines that may cause dizziness or sleepiness
- Do exercises that improve strength and balance
The part that is genuinely uncertain
Guidance changes, and it changes because evidence does. The figures above reflect current US guidance from the bodies named at the foot of this page; where those bodies revise their position, theirs is the account to follow rather than this one.
Related topics
- Falls Prevention: What Published Guidance Supports (Bone and Joint)
- Child Safety at Home: What Published Guidance Supports (Children's Health)
- Strength and Balance in Later Life: What Published Guidance Supports (Healthy Aging)
- Foot Care in Later Life: What the Evidence Actually Says (Foot Health)
Where to go next
- The Fall-Proofing Your Home Checklist: What to Do and What to Skip
- Starting Out With Fall-Proofing Your Home
- Fall-Proofing Your Home — the reference entry
- Injury Prevention: The Complete Guide
- The Evidence on Safe Firearm Storage, Without the Hype
- Bike and Helmet Safety: Sorting the Evidence From the Noise
When to speak to a doctor
Tell your doctor about any fall, even if you were not hurt, since it can signal a treatable problem. Call 911 if someone cannot get up, hit their head while taking blood thinners, or has severe pain, confusion or a possible broken bone.
Where this comes from
- CDC — Older Adult Fall Prevention
- National Institute on Aging — Falls and Fractures in Older Adults
- American Academy of Pediatrics — Falls Prevention
How this page was put together
Every figure, recommendation and warning above is taken from the guidance named in Where this comes from. Nothing on this page is inferred, summarized or generalized beyond what those bodies publish: where they give a number, it is their number, and where they are silent, so are we. Pages are rebuilt whenever the underlying record changes. Sign-off by a named clinician, where it has happened, is shown at the top of the page along with the date.
Medical disclaimer
This article is general information, not medical advice. It cannot account for your own history, medication or circumstances. Always speak to your doctor, pharmacist or another qualified health professional before making changes that affect your treatment, and never delay seeking medical advice because of something you have read here. In an emergency, call 911.
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