The hazards that put people in hospital are almost never expensive to remove. They are rugs, cords, clutter and darkness, and they accumulate because nobody else walks through the house.
Start with the bathroom and the walkways, which is where most falls happen. Remove loose rugs, clear cords and clutter from paths, improve lighting on the route from bed to bathroom, make sure there is something solid to hold near the toilet and shower, and keep frequently used items within reach so nobody is climbing. Most of it costs nothing. Do it with the person rather than around them.
A safety sweep done while someone is out, that rearranges their house, is the fastest way to lose their cooperation — and with any memory loss it is genuinely harmful, because the layout is doing work their memory no longer does.
So walk it together. Ask where they have nearly slipped. Ask which room they have stopped using and why. People know exactly where the dangerous spots are; they have simply been avoiding them rather than mentioning them.
And fix the boring things first. The bathroom and the route to it at night account for a disproportionate share of everything that goes wrong.
In rough order of how much risk each removes:
In and around the bathroom, and on the route to it at night. If you only fix two things, fix those.
Something solid to hold near the toilet and shower is one of the highest-value changes there is. Have them fitted properly — a bar that comes off the wall is worse than none.
Common, and worth negotiating rather than overruling. Non-slip backing is a compromise; removing the ones on the route to the bathroom is the priority.
Yes. Keeping walkways clear, lighting working and the bathroom dry is part of ordinary care, and a caregiver in the house regularly notices new hazards as they appear.
Personal Touch Home Care provides non-medical in-home care. Our caregivers assist with daily living, safety and companionship. They do not provide nursing, wound care, injections, physical therapy or any service requiring a licensed clinician. If that is what is needed, it is a home health agency, and we will tell you so.
Call and describe what is happening at home. We will tell you what we can do, what we cannot, and what it would take.
