Assisted Living Safety Checklist: Fall Prevention in the Elderly

Falls in the elderly are often due to hazards that are easy to overlook but easy to fix. To prevent serious injury, assisted living homes should have a proper fall prevention checklist to go by when maintaining each room for residents. 

One out of four older adults will fall each year in the United States, making falls a public health concern, particularly among the aging population. #UnlimitedCareCottages Click To Tweet

How can you ensure falls are prevented in assisted living?

Use the following checklist to make sure your loved ones are out of harm’s way of falling over in assisted living:

1. Floors
2. Stairs and Steps 
3. Kitchen
4. Bathroom
5. Bedroom

1) Floors

When walking through each room, the path should be clear of any furniture. There shouldn’t be any rugs that aren’t placed with a non-slip backing. Items like books, papers, towels, and shoes should be picked up off the floor. Any cords and wires should be taped to the walls out of the way.

2) Stairs and Steps

Stairways should be in good condition with no broken steps and kept well lit with an accessible overhead light. Any objects should be kept off the stairs to prevent being tripped over. There should be a secure handrail on each side of the stairs for residents to hold on to. Non-slip rubber treads are preferred for elderly residents, otherwise, make sure no carpet is loose or torn.

3) Kitchen

Items that are used the most often should be at waist level on lower shelves. You don’t want important utensils to be out of reach. Make sure a steady step stool is available if needed.

4) Bathroom

Make sure the tub and/or shower floor aren’t slippery by placing a non-slip rubber mat or strips to it. There should be some form of support for getting into the tub or shower, like grab bars next to the tub and toilet. 

Pro Tip: Your loved ones are supervised by highly skilled staff in our cottages. This alone can prevent them from being in danger of falling and becoming injured. 

5) Bedroom

Make sure there’s a lamp close to the bedside where it can easily be reached. The pathway from the bed to the bathroom should be well-lit at all times. Place a nightlight in the hallway so that the path can be seen at night.

Preventing Falls in Assisted Living

Use this checklist to ensure fall prevention in the elderly at your loved one’s assisted living facility. At Unlimited Care Cottages assisted living and memory care units, our resident’s safety is our top priority.

Join the conversation to learn more about elderly safety in assisted living!