Go through your parent's house with the CDC's home fall checklist: keep objects off the stairs and floors, stop rugs from slipping, light the stairs, put a lamp by the bed, and add a non-slip mat and grab bars in the bathroom. Then book a balance evaluation with Dr. Ed Shut, DPT, in Chatsworth, because the checklist fixes the house and his clinic tests show how your parent stands, turns and gets up from a chair.
Walk the house with the CDC checklist
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) publishes a home fall checklist for older adults, Check for Safety: A Home Fall Prevention Checklist for Older Adults. It is part of the CDC's STEADI materials, and its stated purpose is to help you find and fix hazards in the home.
The list below is a short version. Every item comes from that brochure, which has more questions and fixes, so read the whole thing too. Go through the house one area at a time, and walk it with your parent if you can.
Stairs
- Always keep objects off the stairs.
- Have an electrician put in an overhead light and light switch at the top and bottom of the stairs.
- Make sure handrails are on both sides of the stairs, and are as long as the stairs.
- Make sure the carpet is firmly attached to every step, or remove the carpet and attach non-slip rubber treads to the stairs.
Floors
- Remove the rugs, or use double-sided tape or a non-slip backing so the rugs won't slip.
- Pick up things that are on the floor. Always keep objects off the floor.
- Coil or tape cords and wires next to the wall so your parent can't trip over them.
- Ask someone to move the furniture so your parent's path is clear.
Shelves and step stools
- Keep the things your parent uses often on the lower shelves (about waist high).
- If your parent must use a step stool, get one with a bar to hold on to. Never use a chair as a step stool.
Bedrooms
- Place a lamp close to the bed where it's easy to reach.
- Put in a nightlight so your parent can see where they're walking.
Bathrooms
- Put a non-slip rubber mat or self-stick strips on the floor of the tub or shower.
- Have grab bars put in next to and inside the tub, and next to the toilet.
Three fixes need another person: an electrician for the stair lights, someone to move the furniture, and someone to put in the grab bars.
The checklist covers the house. It cannot show you how steady your parent is on their feet.
Three balance tests Dr. Ed runs in the clinic
Dr. Ed tests balance in the ways falls actually happen. Here are three of those tests.
- Standing with eyes closed.Your parent stands with their eyes closed, and Dr. Ed watches how steady they stay.
- Turning.Your parent turns, and Dr. Ed watches how steady they stay through the turn.
- Getting up from a chair without hands.Your parent stands up from a chair without using their hands, and Dr. Ed watches how they get up.
The same evaluation also tests reaching, stepping over something and walking while talking.
What else Dr. Ed checks and asks
Balance is one part of the evaluation. Dr. Ed also checks leg strength, ankle and hip mobility, the inner ear and the nervous system.
He asks about the home, your parent's footwear, their medications and the falls they have had. Your walk-through helps here, so tell him what you found in the house. Then he tells you plainly where the risk is and what the plan is.
What the plan looks like
The plan is set after the evaluation. It can include:
- Balance retraining, starting where your parent is safe and made harder each week.
- Strength work for the legs and hips, the muscles that catch your parent.
- Gait training: stride, turning, stairs, curbs and uneven ground.
- Practical fall-proofing: how to get up from the floor, which shoes, which rugs, where a grab bar belongs.
- A short written home program that a family member can supervise, adjusted every visit.
Family members are welcome at every session. The number of visits depends on what the evaluation finds and is set after it, never quoted up front.
What to do next
Finish the walk-through, then book a balance evaluation for your parent. The page on balance and fall prevention shows what treatment looks like with Dr. Ed. Evening and Saturday appointments mean an adult child who works can bring a parent in. Patients write about their own visits on the Reviews page.