A fall-prevention walk through the house

Falls by older adults lead to about 300,000 hospital stays for broken hips each year. Many people can't live on their own after a hip fracture. Go room by room through the house and fix the hazards you find.

Stairs and steps, inside and out

• Keep papers, shoes and books off the stairs
• Fix any loose or uneven steps
• Have a light and a switch put in at the top and the bottom of the stairsLight switches that glow in the dark help too.
• Replace a burned-out stairway bulb right away
• Fasten loose carpet to every step, or replace it with non-slip rubber treads
• Put a handrail on both sides of the stairs, running their full lengthFix any rail that's loose or broken.

Floors

• Move furniture so the path through each room is clear
• Take up throw rugs, or hold them down with double-sided tape or a non-slip backing
• Coil or tape cords along the wall, out of the walking pathIf a cord has to cross the room, have an electrician add an outlet instead.

Kitchen

• Move the things you use often to the lower shelves, about waist high
• Use a sturdy step stool with a bar to hold, and never a chair

Bedroom and bathroom

• Put a lamp by the bed that's easy to reach
• Put a nightlight between the bed and the bathroomSome nightlights turn on by themselves after dark.
• Lay a non-slip mat or self-stick strips on the tub or shower floor
• Have grab bars put in next to and inside the tub, and next to the toilet

Beyond the house

• Ask a doctor or pharmacist to review all your medicinesInclude the over-the-counter ones, and ask which could make you dizzy or sleepy.
• Have your eyes checked at least once a yearBifocal or progressive lenses can make a step look closer or farther away than it is. A pair with only the distance prescription helps on walks outside.
• Do exercises that build leg strength and balance, such as tai chi
• Ask the doctor about a screening for osteoporosis, and about vitamin D