Falls in the home can be contributed to many things. Four tips that we hear time and time again are:

• Have your vision checked
• Keep a regular exercise program
• Make your home safer
• Have your doctor check your medication

According to the PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center, preventable falls can steal away your ability to be active and independent. In older adults hospitalized because of hip fractures, approximately half cannot return home or live independently.

Research done at Colorado State University tells us that at least one-third of all falls in the elderly involve environmental hazards in the home.

Here are a few good tips for making your home safer:

•  Look at the floors in each room. Do you have throw rugs on the floor? Do you have to walk over or around wires or cords?
• Look at the stairs you use both inside and outside your home. Are some steps broken or uneven? Are you missing a light over the stairway? Are there objects on the stairs?
• Look at your kitchen and eating area. Are the things you use often on high shelves?
•  Look at all your bathrooms. Do you need some support when you get in and out of the tub or up from the toilet?
•  Look at all your bedrooms.  Is the path from your bed to the bathroom dark?

Exercising good judgment and using proven research, we can do so much more today to prevent an accident from happening. Be safe and do what you can to stay on your feet.