12 Steps to Chair Safety at Home

Many seniors who live in their homes often worry about being injured as a result of a fall.  This is a concern to their children too, especially in homes with staircases.  Falls are caused by a lack of balance, or an inability to recover when the senior loses his/her balance.  Poor balance can be related to side effects from medication, some physical or cognitive diseases, environmental hazards or impaired mobility or vision. 

Statistics show that falls present a significant health risk for seniors.

• 1/3 of people aged 65+ typically fall once a year or more
• falls are the most common cause of injury and the 6th leading cause of death in seniors
• the Canadian health care system spends about $6-billion a year on injuries sustained by seniors because of falls
• almost half of admissions to long-term care facilities are related to falls
• most falls occur in seniors' homes, while they are doing normal daily activities
• 40% of falls that require hospitalization involve hip fractures
• women are 3 times more likely than men to be hospitalized for a fall

Seniors are at particular risk of falling on stairs, and more likely to suffer severe injury when they fall. In fact, seniors aged 65+ account for 70% of the deaths resulting from stair accidents.

The Public Health Agency of Canada offers 12 tips on how to improve your safety on stairs in your home. 
1.  Have well lit staircases.  Install lighs and switches at the top and bottom of your stairs.
2.  Make sure your steps are in good repair.  There should not be an uneven surfaces, cracks, bunched-up carpeting or protruding nails.  Hardwood stairs can be slippery when walking in stocking feet, and can cause more injury if you fall.  Consider adding a well secured runner down the staircase.
3.  Make sure all the steps are the same size and height.  Uneven steps are a hazard.
4.  Enhance the visibility of each step so you can clearly see the edges.  This can be done by painting the edges a contrasting colour or by applying special strips to enhance the visibility of the step.
5.  Make sure your carpeting or runners are well-secured.
6.  Have a solid, well-attached handrail that you can get your hand around.
7.  There should be a handrail on at lease one side of every staircase, and the height should allow you to comfortably hold it with your arm slightly bent at the elbow.
8.  Avoid leaving any clutter on the staircase.
9.  Remove throw rugs and loose carpeting from the landings.
10. Don't rush on the stairs.  Go slowly, holding the handrail.
11. Limit what you carry up or down the stairs.  You should be able to see the stairs, and have a hand on the handrail.
12. Remove your reading glasses when going up or down stairs.

For more information about the prevention of falls in seniors:
Injury Research in B.C.
Public Health Agency