General Recommendations

Keeping Your Loved One Safe at Home Reducing the Risk of Accidents and Falls for Seniors

• Have your loved one stand still for a minute upon rising from sitting or lying down, to allow blood pressure to adjust and avoid dizziness.
• Seniors should wear supportive, rubber-soled, low-heeled shoes, and avoid walking in socks or stockings or smooth-soled slippers or shoes.
• Even if your loved one resists the idea of using a cane or walker, keep one in the home for their use just in case they need it.
• Encourage your loved one to be as active as possible for their physician and mental condition. Inactivity causes muscles to weaken and contributes to falls.
• Encourage your loved one to use an answering machine or portable phone instead of rushing to answer a ringing telephone.