Your home should be a safe and comfortable place to live. But hazards found inside and outside the home can cause slips, trips, or falls.
The good news is that by making simple changes to your home and removing hazards, you can make your home safer and help prevent falls.
Did you know
- Over half of all fall-related hospitalisations occur in the home.
- The most common areas of the home where falls occur include outdoor areas, the bathroom, and the bedroom.
- Removing hazards in and around the home can reduce the risk of falls by 26%.
Common hazards found in and around the home
- Poor lighting throughout the home, including walkways, entrances, and pathways.
- Slippery floors (spills, dust, polished floors and tiles).
- Loose or damaged rugs and mats, including curled edges.
- Cluttered floors and loose cords or cables.
- Unstable furniture, or furniture that is hard to get out of such as chairs, sofas, and beds.
- Over-hanging bedding or blankets.
- Unsafe ladders, steps, and stairways.
- Furniture placed in areas of the home that narrow the pathways, making it harder to walk around.
- Pets.
- Gardening tools left out or not stored away safely.
- Uneven, damaged, or wet outdoor pathways, including cracked pavers, moss, leaves, gravel, and rocks.
- Overgrown plants, and trees.
Tips to make your home safer
- Have good lighting in every room, including entryways, hallways and stairs.
- Use sensor lights that turn on and off automatically at night for inside and outside the home.
- If you do not have a light switch next to your bed, use a sensor light, have a lamp on your bedside table, or leave a night light on.
- Take time to adjust to changes in lighting and turn on lights in rooms or walkways even if you are entering briefly.
- Install sturdy handrails on both sides of stairs and steps inside and outside the home.
- Check that stairs and steps are well lit, not too high, narrow, uneven, or damaged.
- Have light switches at the top and bottom of stairs.
- Ensure edges of steps are clearly marked.
- Ensure carpet runners are securely fixed.
- Remove objects or clutter on stairs and steps.
- Use non-slip contrast tape or paint for the edges of outdoor steps.
- If you use a ladder, inspect before use and make sure it is safe. Make sure someone else is home when using a ladder and always keep three points of contact (two hands and a foot, or two feet and a hand) on the ladder when climbing up and down.
- Keep doorways and walkways free of clutter and furniture.
- Ensure walkways are clear and well lit.
- Tuck in bedding and blankets so they don’t overhang.
- Pets can also be a tripping hazard, using a collar with a bell will help you know where they are at all times.
- Consider moving or removing furniture so that it is easy to walk around, especially when using a mobility aid.
- Secure loose cords and cables to walls.
- Ensure furniture like beds, lounge chairs, and sofas are easy to get out of.
- Adjust shelving in your cupboards so you don’t have to reach high or bend to reach the items.
- Keep important items such as your telephone, medication, and walking aids in easy to reach places where they will not be in your way and you can reach them quickly.
- Use a personal alarm or keep a mobile phone close in the case of a fall.
- Outdoor pathways and entrances should be clear and well-lit.
- Remove overgrown plants, and clear leaves.
- Repair damaged or cracked pavers.
- Install handrails on steps and ensure edges are clearly marked with slip resistance tape or paint.
- Keep garden free of trip hazards. Store away garden tools and hoses safely.
- Be aware of where your pets are when you are outside.
- Secure handrail in shower or on wall next to bath to avoid holding on to taps or towel rail to get out.
- Secure handrail next to the toilet and ensure the toilet is at a safe height to get on and off.
- Use slip resistant treatments on the base of your bath or shower, and non-slip mats on the floor.
- Keep items such as soap and shampoo in easy to reach places.
- Ensure good lighting.
- Do not have the shower to hot as this can cause light-headedness or dizzyness.
- Repair damaged carpets.
- Remove rugs and mats or secure them to the floor using anti-slip tape/backing.
- Use slip resistant treatments on your floors.
- Clean up spills straight away and take extra care in wet areas.
- Use coloured tape to clearly see changes in your floors surface or depth.
- Avoid patterned carpets.
If you need assistive equipment, speak to your doctor or GP, or care provider.
Spot the hazards!
Play our Spot The Hazard game and test your home safety knowledge, or follow along with Frank and Tiddles as they make their home safer.
Who can help make your home safer?
There are many community workers and health professionals who can help make your home safer. Click on each one to learn more.
If you have any concerns about the safety of your home, request an occupational therapy home assessment to find out what is best for you. If you don’t have a regular doctor or GP, use Health Direct to find one near you.
Occupational therapists (OTs) can visit your home and recommend any changes to keep you safe and independent. Visit Occupational Therapy Australia to find an OT in your area.
Aboriginal Health Workers can help you to find services that suit your needs. They help to provide a link between Aboriginal communities and health care services. For more information visit the services below:
Learn more
When hazards in and around the home combine with factors such as poor vision and unsafe footwear, the risk of a fall increases. Learn how to Check Your Eyesight and Wear Safe Footwear to prevent falls.
