Remove trip and slip hazards
A safer home can reduce falls, especially for older adults who have already fallen or need daily support.
The number, drawn
Why it matters
Loose rugs, poor lighting and missing handrails can turn a small loss of balance into a fall. A 2023 Cochrane review found that home hazard reduction programmes reduced the rate of falls by about 38% in older adults selected for higher risk. The same benefit was not established for unselected older adults, and evidence for reducing serious injuries was limited.
How to do it
- Clear walking routes and secure or remove loose rugs and cables.
- Improve lighting on stairs and routes to the bathroom.
- Fit sturdy handrails and appropriate bathroom grab bars.
- If you have fallen or need help with daily activities, ask about a professional home safety assessment.
- Tell a clinician about dizziness, falls or medicines that could affect balance.
Repeated falls, fainting or new unsteadiness need assessment. The study result came from targeted programmes, not simply receiving a checklist.
Do it
Pick the time you have. Anything beats nothing.
Start with the time you have
1 minute
Look along your next walking route for a loose rug, cable or object; ask for help with anything you cannot safely move.
5 minutes
Clear small, easy-to-move items from one walking route if you can do so safely; leave lifting and awkward reaching to someone who can help.
15 minutes
Review your bedroom, bathroom route and stairs for clutter, poor lighting and missing rails; list repairs for a helper or professional.
30 minutes
With a helper, check rooms and stairs, clear simple hazards and arrange larger repairs; avoid climbing or heavy lifting.
A plan
Make your home safer in stages
- Start with clear walking routes and good lighting.
- Arrange help to secure rugs and cables and install appropriate rails or grab bars.
- If you have fallen or need daily support, ask about a professional home safety assessment.
- Review the completed changes and tell your clinician about any further falls or dizziness.
In real life
- Keep the route between your bed and bathroom clear of shoes, bags and loose cables.
- Ask for properly installed bathroom grab bars instead of relying on furniture for support.
Watch out for
- Common mistakeA checklist alone does not fix hazards, so arrange help with the changes you cannot safely make.
- Common mistakeRepeated falls are not just clumsiness, so tell a clinician about falls, dizziness and medicines that may affect balance.
Trusted guides
Check usSources
- Evidence grade
- A Meta-analyses of randomised trials, or a major guideline consensus.
- Basis
- Cochrane 2023 review of randomized environmental interventions, with CDC prevention guidance
- The number
- About 38% fewer falls with home hazard programmes in older adults at higher risk (Cochrane, 2023)
- Outcome
- rate of falls in older adults selected for higher fall risk
- Comparison
- Home hazard reduction programmes versus control; not a checklist alone
- Tier 1 guidelineReducing fall hazards within the environmentCochrane, 2023
- Tier 1 guidelinePreventing FallsCDC, 2026
General health information, not a diagnosis or an individual treatment plan. Personalization changes the order of suggestions; it does not assess your medical risks. Follow the cautions and consult a qualified clinician when needed.