Falls
A safer home: preventing falls, room by room
A fall rarely has a single cause. It is usually the sum of a slippery floor, poor lighting, a medication that causes dizziness and muscles that lost strength. The good news is that almost all of those factors can be changed.
Dra. Brenda Joanna Estrada Martínez Start with the bathroom
It is where most falls happen. Install firm grab bars next to the toilet and inside the shower; towel rails do not work, they come off the wall. Use a non-slip mat inside and outside, and consider a shower chair if standing is tiring.
A night light on the route from bedroom to bathroom prevents a large share of night-time falls.
Bedroom, living room and hallways
Remove loose rugs or secure them with double-sided tape. Clear hallways of cables, plant pots and low furniture. The bed should be at a height that lets you sit with your feet flat on the floor.
Keep a switch or lamp within reach from the bed, so there is no walking in the dark.
Kitchen and stairs
Everyday items belong between waist and shoulder height: no step stools, no reaching for high shelves. Wipe up any spill immediately.
On stairs, a firm handrail on both sides if possible, good lighting at the top and bottom, and contrasting tape on the edge of each step.
What the house cannot fix
Get your vision checked once a year, wear closed shoes with non-slip soles (not loose slippers) and, above all, review the medications: sleeping pills, anxiolytics and some blood pressure drugs multiply the risk.
And the most important factor: strength and balance exercise. It is the only intervention that, besides preventing the fall, improves recovery if one happens.
Dr. Brenda Joanna Estrada Martínez
Geriatrician board certified by the Mexican Council of Geriatrics. She practices in Ciudad Juárez, at the office and at home.
