Keeping your senior safe from falls in your home or theirs starts with keeping them safe from slipping and tripping. If you have an elderly loved one and have ever wondered how to keep floors safe for the elderly, you are in the right place.
Take the time to check both your home and theirs with your “eyes wide open” for potential floor hazards that could lead to a life-changing fall. Get rid of any rugs, rugs, electrical cords, and mud or sand left on shoes that may be loose on the floor. Remember, the number 1 enemy of seniors’ flooring is carpeting. If you look at the underside of a rug, you may (or may not) find a rubber anti-slip backing that is designed to keep the rug from slipping. But you can’t prevent a rug from bunching up and creating a tripping hazard.
A living room or any large room should have a continuous floor type so there are no transitions or thresholds that create a tripping hazard. If you have saddle sills between rooms, it would be a good idea to remove/replace them so that the transition of the floor from room to room is as smooth as possible, with no humps or bumps. As little as a 1/4-inch change in height from the floor can cause a trip.
A special note about keeping bathroom floors safe for seniors: The bathroom floor is a special surface and needs to have some texture so that it remains slip-resistant even when it gets wet. The bathroom is the most humid room in the house. If you have tiles in your older child’s bathroom, you can add some anti-slip strips to make it less slippery. You can buy rolls of this at Lowe’s, Home Depot, or even on Amazon. There are also anti-slip treatments that can be applied to the floor to increase the coefficient of friction (make the floor less slippery). Wet floors are a dangerous slip hazard because it’s hard for your senior to see where the wet spots are on the floor.
If you use any type of polish or spray cleaner, be careful with overspray. Overspraying furniture polish can make your floor very slippery. Instead of spraying the polish directly on the furniture, spray it on the polishing cloth and then wipe the furniture down. This will leave your floors clean and dry. As a general rule, clean up spills and splashes immediately and keep your floor as dry as possible. While we are on the topic of cleaning, picking up is also a very important daily chore. Anything loose on the floor can cause a tripping hazard for your older adult, such as toys, dirt, extension cords, and game pieces. Keep your flat clean and dry and your senior darling will have a much safer stay at her home or yours.
5-Minute Checklist to Keep Floors Safe for Seniors
> Walk through yours and theirs with your “Senior Hazard” eyes on
> Keep floors dry and clean
> Dispose of area or throw away rugs
> Mark sloped or uneven floors with high visibility paint or tape
> Move electrical cords out of the way for walking
> Be careful when using polishes and cleaners, avoid overspraying the floor