Home & Bathroom Safety: Room-by-Room Checklist & Hidden Fall Risks

1. Bathroom safety (where home falls happen most often)

Making changes in your bathroom helps lower your risk of falling. Source: MedlinePlus

1. Install two wall-secured grab bars — vertical or horizontal, never diagonal: You need two grab bars: one to help get in and out of the tub, and another to help stand from a sitting position. Secure them vertically or horizontally to the wall, not diagonally. Source: MedlinePlus
2. Do not use towel racks as grab bars: Towel racks cannot support your weight. Source: MedlinePlus
3. Non-slip mats inside and outside the tub, plus a shower chair: Put non-slip suction mats or rubber silicone decals in the bottom of the tub, use a non-skid bath mat outside the tub for firm footing, keep the floor outside dry, and sit on a bath chair or bench when showering. Source: MedlinePlus
4. Set the water heater to no more than 120°F (49°C): This prevents burns; a single-lever faucet mixes hot and cold water together. Source: MedlinePlus
5. Always urinate sitting down, and do not get up suddenly: Raising the toilet seat height with an elevated toilet seat, or using a commode chair instead of a toilet, can help prevent falls. Source: MedlinePlus
6. Ask for an occupational or physical therapist bathroom visit: If you are unsure which changes fit your bathroom, ask your health care provider for a referral to an occupational or physical therapist to inspect your home. Source: MedlinePlus

2. Bedroom, walkways, stairs & footwear

Set up the path you walk every day and night. Source: MedlinePlus

1. Have a bed low enough that your feet touch the floor when sitting on the edge: When standing up from sitting or lying down, go slowly and hold onto something stable. Source: MedlinePlus
2. Light the path from the bedroom to the bathroom and all stairs: Light the bathroom and any stairs too. Having a bathroom or a portable commode on the same floor where you spend most of your day means fewer steps to climb. Source: MedlinePlus
3. Remove loose throw rugs and cords from walkways: Clear loose wires or cords from paths between rooms and fix uneven flooring in doorways. Source: MedlinePlus
4. Do not stand on step ladders or chairs to reach things: Reorganize shelves so everyday items sit within easy reach, and keep a cordless or mobile phone with you. Source: MedlinePlus
5. Wear non-skid, rubber-soled, low-heeled shoes — never walk in socks or smooth slippers: Use a shoulder bag or backpack so both hands can hold on to railings. If you borrow a cane or walker, ask your health care provider to make sure it is the correct size. Source: NIA Source: MedlinePlus

3. Health causes of falls to raise with your clinician

Raise these with your doctor even if you have not fallen yet. Source: NIA

1. Postural hypotension (blood pressure drop on standing): Getting up too quickly from lying down or sitting can make blood pressure drop and leave you wobbly; ask your clinician to check your blood pressure both lying down and standing. Source: NIA
2. Changes in eyesight, hearing, or new glasses: Even small changes in sight and hearing are linked to a higher risk of falls; take time to get used to new eyeglasses, and if you have a hearing aid, make sure it fits well and wear it. Contact your provider if your eyesight has worsened. Source: NIA Source: MedlinePlus
3. Sarcopenia (age-related loss of muscle mass and strength): Weakness in the legs makes standing up and recovering balance harder; the USPSTF recommends exercise interventions to prevent falls in adults 65 or older living in the community who are at increased risk of falls (B recommendation), and NIA recommends at least 150 minutes per week of physical activity plus calcium and vitamin D for bone strength. Source: NIA Source: USPSTF (PMID 38833246)
4. Rushed movement to the bathroom (incontinence) or foot pain: Conditions that cause rushed movement to the bathroom, such as incontinence, may increase the chance of falling, and so can foot problems that cause pain. Both are worth raising with your clinician. Source: NIA
5. Tell your provider about every fall or near-fall: Contact your provider if you have fallen — or if you almost fall — even if you were not hurt. Source: MedlinePlus Source: NIA

4. Build & print your 1-page home safety and clinician sheet

Tick what applies in your home. Your ticks stay on this page and are never saved or sent. If you want, you can carry only the number of changes to your family file, by your own click. Low-vision, diabetes and local-help lines: Source: NEI Source: NIDDK Source: NIDDK Source: NIDDK Source: ACL