Falls are more common than you may think.

You can reduce the frequency of falls and to make your home environment safe for family members.

Make these preventative changes now to keep you and your family safe.

When buying or updating a house, consider:

Lighting

As we age, our night vision and other senses become less sharp. Nightlights, especially automatic ones, can help us navigate the home at night without tripping.

Steps

Just one step can be troublesome for someone who has difficulty with mobility and balance. Make sure stairs have a handrail or grab bar to assist with mobility.

Bathroom

Make sure bathrooms can accommodate a walker or wheelchair. Measurements can be found on the ADA website at https://www.adachecklist.org/doc/fullchecklist/ada-checklist.pdf .

Floors

Tile floors and wood floors can be slippery. Some people have neuropathy - numbness and tingling due to nerve damage - in their feet, which can alter their perception of the environment.

Wear non-slip socks or rubber-soled footwear in the house. Used a shower mat over tile floor and in the shower to prevent falls.

Clear passageways

Keep floors free from any objects that someone can trip over. Mobility devices, like a walker, cane, or wheelchair, require wider passageways for safe navigation.

Alcohol & medications

Our kidneys and liver remove waste from our body, such as alcohol and medications. Because our kidney and liver do not work as well when we are older, we may not be able to tolerate the same amount of alcohol as when we are young.

Alcohol also interacts with many medications which may increase the effects of alcohol leading to falls. Some medications can also put you at risk for falls. Talk to your healthcare provider if you are concerned about your medication.

*This article is intended for general information purposes only and is not medical advice. Please seek counseling from your primary care provider for personalized medical advice.

Lauren Svensen is owner and family nurse practitioner at Spirit Primary Care at 7001 St. Andrews Rd in Columbia. Reach her at lauren@spiritprimary.com .