Fall prevention checklist for seniors, room by room

According to the CDC, more than one in four adults aged 65 and older falls each year, falls are the most common cause of traumatic brain injury in older adults, and most hip fractures are caused by falls. The good news is that the home is the part of the problem a family can change in a weekend. This checklist follows the order an occupational therapist would use: the most dangerous rooms first.

1. Bathroom

Wet, hard and tight: the bathroom is where falls are most likely and injuries most serious.

• Grab bar beside the toilet. Mounted horizontally 33–36 inches (84–91 cm) above the floor, into studs or masonry anchors. A towel rail is not a grab bar.
• Grab bars in the shower or tub. One vertical at the entry, one horizontal on the long wall. Never suction-cup bars.
• Non-slip mat inside, rubber-backed mat outside.
• Toilet seat height. 17–19 inches (43–48 cm) lets most adults sit and stand with knees at a right angle. A raised seat or toilet frame fixes a low toilet.
• A shower seat and a handheld shower head, so washing is a sit-down job.
• A night light that comes on by itself.
• A door that can be opened from outside. Someone who falls behind an inward-opening locked door blocks the only way in.

2. Stairs and hallway

• Handrails on both sides, 34–38 inches (86–97 cm) above the step edge, extending past the top and bottom steps.
• Light switches at the top and bottom, or motion-sensor lights.
• Visible step edges. Uniform carpet makes steps blur into a slope; a contrasting anti-slip strip on the first and last step helps the most.
• Nothing stored on the steps.
• Even steps. Risers above 7 inches (18 cm) or uneven steps need extra light and rails.

3. Bedroom and the night path

The trip to the toilet at night, half asleep, in the dark, is one of the most common moments for a fall.

• Motion-sensor night lights from the bed to the toilet.
• A lamp within reach of the pillow, and a phone and glasses on the nightstand.
• Bed height: sitting on the edge, feet flat on the floor and knees at a right angle.
• A clear floor beside the bed: no shoes, cords or loose rugs.
• Closed-back, non-slip slippers where the feet land.

4. Kitchen

• Everyday plates and food between waist and shoulder height.
• A stable two-step stool with a handrail, never a chair.
• A non-slip mat by the sink, spills wiped at once.
• Working smoke alarm, and a carbon monoxide alarm if there is gas.

5. Living room

• Rugs either removed or on non-slip pads.
• Cords along the walls, not across the floor.
• A chair with firm armrests and a seat at knee height or higher.
• A clear, straight path through the room.

6. Entrance and outside

• A low threshold (under half an inch) or a threshold ramp.
• Light that comes on before stepping in.
• A rail on outside steps, a motion-sensor light over the door, and a plan for ice.
• A visible house number, so an ambulance finds the home fast.

How to use this list

Do the walk-through in daylight and once more in the evening: lighting problems only show up in the dark. Write down sizes, not just problems, because “buy a grab bar” is not something a hardware store can sell you. Fix the bathroom and stairs within days, the rest within weeks, and walk through again in a year.

If you want this list as a guided walk-through, Firm Ground turns it into 98 checks with measurements against the norm, a priority-sorted PDF report and a shopping list with sizes.