Assess and correct factors that may contribute to falls in halls or on stairs or walkways inside a care recipient’s cr’s home

Try: #remove clutter and obstacles from all stairs halls and routes of access in the home #leave a clear path wide enough for the cr to navigate easily between rooms and furniture used by the cr make sure the path is wide enough to allow use of a cane walker or wheelchair if the cr uses one of these and consider whether the path would allow access to rescue workers in the event of an emergency #use a tape measure to measure the width of a wheelchair or walker from its widest outer features on one side to another to determine whether an assistive device will fit through a doorway or hall wheelchair sizes usually reflect the diagonal width of their cushions not their width including arms bolts etc #minor modifications can be made to walkers or doorframes that can make the walker narrower or the doorframe wider allowing the cr to use a walker throughout the house #remove the inside trims of a doorframe and switch a wheeled walker’s wheels from the outside to the inside of the frame to gain an extra bit of space you will have to move the left wheel to the inside right of the frame and the right wheel to the inside left if you do not have the proper tools ask for help at a physical therapy department or hardware store #try to keep at least five square feet of clear floor space for the cr to turn around in at points on an access route or in a room where the cr is likely to need to change direction or position this will allow a cr with poor balance or limited flexibility to walk rather than pivot in a new direction #secure area rugs with non-skid backing remove scatter rugs or provide non-skid backing for them; it is available at do-it-yourself hardware stores #for cr’s with vision difficulties apply a high-contrast color of duct tape to uncarpeted stairs you will have to determine with the safest way to place the tape which may depend on the steps and the cr’s vision needs a strip of tape horizontally placed along the outfacing wall of the step may be helpful with an additional strip at the base of the staircase

Materials: Tape measure high-contrast colored duct tape hammer claw non-skid rug backing

Categories: Medical Physical, Mobility, Mobile, Needs Some Assistance, Vision, Good Vision, So-So Vision

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*This information is listed as a Tip and is not explicitly medically licensed

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