Fall prevention for the elderly and those with mobility issues is essential.  Tripping on the edge of a rug or over a cable can lead to serious injury, a lengthy stay in hospital or rehabilitation facility and for some it can be fatal. Here are some hazards to be aware of and also some suggestions for prevention.

Fortunately there are methods and strategies in place to safe guard a home or facility from trip hazards.  Trained professionals such as a community based Aged Care Assessment Teams (ACAT Team) provide in home evaluations to remove hazards and install the right equipment specific to their clients needs.

Ramps and threshold ramps are ideal for minimising risk around stairways and where there is a change in floor height. Where suitable, adding a handrail to accompany the ramp can provide additional security.

Other hazards around the home include edges of rugs and door mats.  These should be removed where possible.  Furniture can be place over the corner of rugs for preventative purposes.

Some chairs are designed with legs that stick outward instead of straight down, inline with the seat base.  This can also contribute to tripping.

A more obvious cause of trips and falls in the home is clutter. Piles of belongings stacked up in places can easily be tripped over when not looking down.  These piles also reduce the floor space for walking and create unnecessary obstacles.

A huge trip hazard in homes and offices is from electrical cables.  Tripsafe Cable Covers for carpet are an inexpensive solution and can easily be fitted to a carpet. These cable covers features a hook & loop style mechanism to secure to the carpet. The cables are positioned underneath the cable cover and cannot be seen.  Available in a variety of lengths, easy to use and also to reuse and also able to cut down to size, these are a really inexpensive solution for reducing this kind of hazard.

Walking frames and rollators around the home and when out in public are ideal for reducing trips and falls.  There are models on the market with a built in seat to allow the user to rest particularly when feeling unsteady on their feet

Lighting, in particular, poorly lit areas create a high risk environment particularly if there are piles of clutter on the floors.  Its important to ensure lights are switched on when needed, particularly during the night when making a journey to the bathroom.

Bathrooms themselves create a high risk environment due to the wet floor created.  Suction grip floor and shower mats minimise slipping.  A shower chair for use when showering is ideal for those who are unable to stand for a prolonged period of time.  Grab rails positioned within the shower cubicle and around the toilet area can be essential and if permanently fixing them to a wall is undesirable there are grab rails with suction caps that can be used.  To accompany the grab rail a toilet seat raiser is great for environments where the toilet seat is too low.  Additional a toilet surround frame can provide assistance when lowering onto the toilet and also when standing.

Pets love to lay at our feet or lie in prime walkway areas awaiting action.  Because of this they are very easy to trip over.  Get used to knowing where a dog or cat may be particularly before beginning to move around.