It is extremely critical for us to provision for safety on staircases and prevent slips, trips, and falls on the stairs. We understand how essential it is to make most of each space in the house. Our home should not be dangerous. Add motion-sensor lights focused on ramps and stairs. Finally, the ramp should also be able to easily accommodate doorway features such as platforms, porches, and stairs. However, you can make them safe easily without spending a fortune. No one wants to think of concussions, broken bones, or death as being a possibility every time they use the stairs, but the fact is, … If moving to a single-storey home isn’t an option, then you can easily get safer stairs for the elderly by making small modifications using the tips we’ll be sharing in this post. Falls can be devastating, and as you get older, they can cause more damage. If a staircase allows for it, on a landing or curve, consider adding a bench to offer a safe place to take a rest. Make sure walkways within the home are clear of clutter and are wide and easy to maneuver. Alternatively, you can move to an apartment with a 24/7 power backup and an elevator, which will surely be quite convenient in the long run. Make sure that each of these adhesive-back strips is properly fixed from wall to wall or from wall to balustrade/railing as the case may be. Stair step riser height specifications & codes Sometimes, people go for narrow stairs to save some space. How To Help Someone Up The Stairs With A Cane. A room with a view makes a difference. This not only helps senior citizens determine the edge of every step when they are walking down the stairs but will also prevent their foot from slipping off the edge accidentally. Wood, laminate, ceramic, or glass tile stairs are slippery, and therefore hazardous for the elderly. 2-by-12 boards. In many cases, helping the elderly with stairs can be as simple as adding handrails. Remember that seniors may have weakened vision and less mobility. Outside, install non-skid strips on steps and porches to provide extra traction when they are wet. When I was an Occupational Therapist (OT), I read about the upcoming surge of retiring Baby Boomers. Despite all of the above methods and tricks to make the stairs safer, there comes a time when climbing even a few steps is hard on senior citizens. Make sure stairs are as safe as possible by removing anything that could get in the way and cause trips or falls. Step 7 Cut out the stair outline on the stringers with a saw. Click to find out how a stairlift can help! These details are applicable for both exterior and interior ladders. Add a resting spot. Mobility or respiratory Everything we’ve learned we’ve used to make our stairlifts safer and more comfortable. Whether it is at a workplace or at home, stairs are integral parts of many of our lives, particularly in suburban homes. Make this safer by installing a ramp, handrail, wider stairs, or whatever other modifications are necessary to make access safe. 2:35. The right footwear that grips the surface improves mobility problems. There are 3 main things that you can do to make your steps as safe as possible: Anti-slip steps– You may think that making steps less slippery would entail a lot of money and/or a lot of time. Better lighting will keep your loved one safe. In general, most people find that ascending the stairs to be more difficult as one must fight against gravity as they climb up. Make sure there is at least one covered entryway into the home. There are actually a wide variety of stair modification products that exist. Nick Acaster, Managing Director of Stair Rods Direct, shares his advice for making them easier and safer for vulnerable people.As we age, travelling between floors in your own home … But finding the right modifications depends on first understanding the challenges faced by your loved one. This is especially true in crowded places. Going downstairs to make a cup of tea shouldn’t be stressful. Falling in old age can also lead to severe internal injuries, broken bones, and other complications. You can alternate between light and dark tones, or use a rainbow of colours as per your design and styling needs. If you own your home and have the means, remodeling your stairs can be one way to make them a little safer. Share We have a friend who is trying to remain in her home. Most senior citizens also have a hard time with depth perception. If you have to go up and down stairs at home, have uneven flooring or raised thresholds, don’t have night lights in your hallways, and have other hazards in the home, it may be time to evaluate and make your living space safer. Not only stairs, using ramps also cause issues with elderly as in many cases they misjudge the angle of landing and also slip. These same specifications should assist anyone who has limited ability to climb stairs such as people suffering from arthritis. It is extremely critical for us to provision for safety on staircases and prevent slips, trips, and falls on the stairs. One way to redecorate the stairs is by putting up a handrail. Luckily, making your stairs safer doesn’t require much work. This could include items left on the stairs to go to the rooms upstairs, rugs or threadbare carpets that could catch people as they’re walking up or down them. I’ve had more than one project where the carpenters told me, “I can save you a whole tread.” My answer is always an emphatic “No!” Saving space isn’t the goal; saving lives is. Keep reading Zameen Blog for more design and décor tips. Lighting is also critical, says Cratsley, so make sure the entire stairway is well lit from top to bottom. If you have a multi-storey home, adding lights to the stairs is a crucial part of making the home safer for senior citizens. To make hardwood stairs safer for seniors, add non-slip strips to the stairs. This is an easy and temporary solution to the problem of steep steps in old houses. You can easily place an ottoman or bench on the bend for senior citizens to catch their breath before they climb up again. Create a safe home environment for elderly people with safe stairs and steps. Have a basket next to the stairs to store any objects you find. How To Make Stairs Safe For The Elderly There are 3 main things that you can do to make your steps as safe as possible: Anti-slip steps – You may think that making steps less slippery would entail a lot of money and/or a lot of time. Jul 26, 2020 - Staircases are a hotspot for slipping or tripping among the elderly. Stairs that aren’t well lit can be a trip hazard for almost anyone of any age, which is why you should consider installing a wall or ceiling light that can be switched on before going up or down the stairs. It could even be a good idea to install a carpet in bright colours or with a pattern, so it is easier for the elderly person to be able to see the steps more clearly. We present here a some important yet simple tips which can help in making stairs and ramps more accessible, comfortable and safer to climb. The truth is, it’s neither. What to Look for When Upgrading your Refrigerator - Duration: 0:32. Make Stairs Safer. How to make Stairs Easier for the Elderly Stairlifts are helping seniors prevent falls and bringing many more benefits. Stair lifts can be fitted onto stairs on any height and design. Consider widening the garage . Going downstairs to make a cup of tea shouldn’t be stressful. Our home should not be dangerous. December 1, 2020 November 30, 2020 by Nensi Jain. For older people living on more than one level, stairs can be especially dangerous. We present here a some important yet simple tips which can help in making stairs and ramps more accessible, comfortable and safer to climb. After cleaning the surface and allowing it to dry, attach the strip near the front of each step to make your home safer. Our balance decreases, which has a negative impact on our lives. Not exactly a home décor tip but wearing the right slippers can prevent falls and injuries. This Device Add a Sliding Support Handle For Your Stairs! ️ Check It Out! To make the stairs safer, you must first identify stair hazards. Once you’ve made sure that your stairs are safe for your loved one, it might be a good idea to invest in a medical alert system from Bay With just two 9-inch treads and three 8¼-inch risers, they’re plenty steep, a condition all too common in a world where builders pride themselves on how little space they can eat up with stairs. Luckily, there are a number of ways to combat the causes for falls and make your stairs safer to use: Stair Safety Tips for Seniors. If your home or your parents home has stairs, then it is one area you will have to redecorate. Guardrails not only prevent seniors from falling but can also provide them with the stable support they need to climb up a flight of stairs. Tighten all handrails and banisters to provide a sturdy support for ascending and descending stairs. Before we know it, the stairs can become a real obstacle in our home. Take the following precautions to make stairs safer. As we get older, we start to feel the effects of aging. Take the following precautions to make stairs safer. If possible, create zero-stair entries to the home. Here is how you can take precautions to limit the risk factors and make the stairs safer to use. Stairs, both indoors and outdoors, should be equipped with firmly attached handrails. One of the modifications you can consider to get safer stairs for seniors if lowering the rise or height of each step, which might mean climbing more steps or flights of stairs, but will be a lot easier on the knees as your elderly relatives will not have to raise their legs as high as the standard rise to climb up to the next floor. If you can’t see where you’re going, you’re far more likely to fall. Illumination of stairways used by older people should be at least 300-lux according to the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA) and illumination must be consistent. To make hardwood stairs safer for seniors, add non-slip strips to the stairs. To make the stairs safer for our older residents, we put yellow striping at the edge of each step. Follow. Not only stairs, using ramps also cause issues with elderly as in many cases they misjudge the angle of landing and also slip. If you’re a caregiver who’s concerned about the safety of your loved one, you might be interested in finding out how to make sure that your stairs are as safe as possible. Find Medical Alert Devices With Fall Detection. How to make Stairs Easier for the Elderly Helping seniors prevent falls and bringing many more benefits. Another senior-friendly staircase design idea includes adding a small seating/resting area after each flight of stairs. Her kitchen has a door that opens into her garage and there is an existing 3 or 4 step stairway someone built from wood. “If you have stairs indoors or outside, handrails should be firmly attached and run the entire length of the staircase. Make sure wall-to-wall carpeting is tight and secure. testdepth, even though a lift might be a good idea, and it is so kind of you to want to help, would the elderly homeowner even use it... she might be afraid of it after the fact. Stair treads come in traditional styles or more decorative styles. This is only possible in U-shaped or L-shaped staircases though. Neither should going up to bed. All Rights Reserved, How to Prevent an Elderly From Falling Out of Bed. Stair design specifications for older adults or for people with limited mobility: This article lists safety features and optimal stairway designs for older building occupants. There are many different solutions to this problem. Here are some ideas that can make their stairs safer than ever. It moves up and down automatically at the touch of a button. The Pros And Cons Of Minimalism: Don’t Give Away Anything Unless You Read This. One option would be to securely carpet the treads or laying a carpet runner on the stairs. 7 min read. Many designs also offer portable footrests, and some stair lifts as completely foldable along the wall or railing until needed, taking up minimum space on the stairway. Neither should going up to bed. The Ultimate Guide On Grounding Techniques For Kids! The bars should be firmly secured to the wall at elbow height to provide maximum support. Install handrails on both sides of the staircase, especially if you have a curved design with wedge-shaped steps that can be a trip hazard. Get rid of rugs. Shoes, safety rails or fall alarms might not be enough to make your stairs safer for the elderly. Consider handrails and stair aids . If your loved one’s stairs have an existing handrail, check it for stability. Be sure to test that they can hold an adult’s body weight without becoming detached from the wall or … It’s a lot easier to modify the staircase when you’re building your home, but you can consider making changes during a home renovation project as well. Staircases of all shapes and sizes can be tricky for the elderly to navigate. Provide Proper Lighting. This will make it easier for an elderly person to enter and exit the house and reduce the risk of falling. If this is the case, it will be necessary to replace it with new, non-slip carpet. Tighten all handrails and banisters to provide a sturdy support for ascending and descending stairs. Handrails are a must, on both sides of the staircase if possible. Consider adding multiple flights of stairs rather than a straight stair if you have exceptionally high ceilings. Don’t use anti-slip paint on the stairs. To make your stairs safer, install abrasive safety strips (available at home centers) to each step. Using a shower seat is also safer than standing in a slick tub. Here are some adjustments that you can make for elderly-friendly staircases: Handrails; Non-Slip Edges; Lighting; Obstacle-Free Paths; Colour Contrasts; Non-Slip Footwear ; Simple Design; Smaller Rise; Resting Spots; Wheelchair Ramp; Stair Lift; Let’s cover each of these methods to make stairs safer for senior citizens in detail below. This can often be accomplished by adding a ramp to entrances that might already have stairs. Safety has always been our top priority. How To Make Stairs Safe For The Elderly. Ensure that you clear up all of the children’s toys before heading to bed and that there are no stray wires that may become a trip hazard. Here are five ways you can do so. Luckily, there are a number of ways to combat the causes for falls and make your stairs safer to use: Stair Safety Tips for Seniors Falling is a sign that our home and stairs aren’t as safe as they should be. In the last 10 years, there has been a shocking increase of over 30% in the number of deadly falls among seniors. Moreover, opt for a U-shaped or L-shaped staircase as these are easier to navigate in comparison to winding, curved, or spiral staircases. – The 4 main components to make stairs safer for seniors are: making the steps non-slippery; proper installation of handrails; lighting; adaptive equipment as needed; There are several ways that staircases can be modified to make them more “senior friendly”. Another is to install anti-slip tape, abrasive treads, carpeting, or rubberized treads on each step. Click to find out how a stairlift can help! Here, he shares his expertise on how you can make a staircase much safer to prevent your elderly relative from having a nasty trip or fall. Jul 26, 2020 - Staircases are a hotspot for slipping or tripping among the elderly. Home; A small bench can give a senior a much-needed break on the way up or down the stairs. Eliminate the stairs. Click here to watch a video of a Stannah stairlift working. Thus, it is imperative that if you have your parents, grandparents, or elderly aunts or uncles living at your place, you need to install nightlights in all parts of the house that they might need access to. If possible, create zero-stair entries to the home. Structural Reasons Why Stairs are a Fall Risk Factor. If it makes you safer and reduces the likelihood of ending up having to recuperate in a hospital room – the loss will be worth it. This can often be accomplished by adding a ramp to entrances that might already have stairs. Helping elderly downstairs and upstairs in a safe and comfortable way Steep or long staircases can be a fall hazard for elderly relatives in your family, especially if they suffer from conditions like dementia, osteoporosis, arthritis, or impaired vision. How to Make Stairs Safer for Elderly. How to Make a Safe Step Down for a Sunken Room By Athena Hessong Things You'll Need. Regularly check the stairs for any objects that can lead to a tripping hazard. Vision impairment, especially at night, is pretty common, as we grow older. You can also check out more tips on how to design a house that is fit for senior citizens, as well as how to make a bathroom safer for the elderly. Here are a few practical ways to make the stairs safer in the home of a senior. Alternatively, LED lights have made illuminating your home easier than ever. Provide your elderly relatives with rubber-soled slippers to wear around the house if they don’t prefer walking around the house barefoot. If your elderly loved one can stand and walk / take steps and they use a standard cane or quad cane then the best options for helping them up a stairway is…. Want to make the stairs safer for the elderly? Modifying stairs for the elderly to help with getting up and down. all of the railings should also be securely fixed with no wiggle room. Create a safe home environment for elderly people with safe stairs and steps. These will help prevent slips and falls. Find a contractor who uses the 7-11 rule. Written by Stannah at 27-06-2019 As we get older, we start to feel the effects of ageing. They give you peace of mind. If moving to a single-storey home is not an option, consider moving the elderly person’s bedroom downstairs so that they do not need to climb up and down during the day. One option is wearing rubber-soled shoes. This includes the route to the bathroom and the kitchen for a drink of water. Here’s how to design a staircase for your home. That night I sketched an alternative stair and gave him the name of a great remodeler friend, Dave Matthews, of Churchill Construction. Everything we’ve learned we’ve used to make our stairlifts for the elderly safer and more comfortable. Deal with carpeted stairs. December 1, 2020 November 30, 2020 by Nensi Jain. Outside, install non-skid strips on steps and porches to provide extra traction when they are wet. Shoes, safety rails or fall alarms might not be enough to make your stairs safer for the elderly. This becomes extremely important when the route requires them to climb up or down the stairs in the night. Keep the top and bottom of stairways clear of loose rugs — they’re a tripping hazard. Want to make the stairs safer for the elderly? Actually, they’re designed to help everyone, regardless of age, get up and down stairs easily, without fear, effort, or the risk of falling. Safe Stairs. These will help prevent slips and falls. So let’s discuss some other options that can be considered to make navigation of stairs and steps more safe. Aside from lighting up their path, it is also important to ensure that the route is as straight as possible and completely free of obstacles and hurdles. For an elderly-friendly home, handrails should be provided in continuity from the first to the last step, without any breaks and should be easy to get a firm grip on. Here is how you can take precautions to limit the risk factors and make the stairs safer to use. The elderly can fall anywhere in their home where there are stairs, including the back step, entry stairs, steps leading to another room, or stairs leading to another floor. While this method cannot be used indoors to move between different floors, many luxurious residences also choose to install an elevator within the house to facilitate movement between floors for all members of the family. Most stairways between stories are built with railing for the safety of people of all ages. 1. While they can definitely add some nice aesthetics to the space, rugs present a danger to seniors. Always Best Care would like to help you make the stairs safer for your senior loved one. Make sure that the rail is sturdy and doesn’t wobble, and that there are no missing pieces. Now you know how to design staircases for senior citizens in case of a home renovation and how to get safer stairs for the elderly using simple hacks as well. Here are six simple ways to do just that. Falling is a sign that our home and stairs aren’t as safe as they should be. How To Make Stairs Safer For The Elderly. You can also send us your comments on the post at blog@zameen.com. This rule states the risers on any given set of stairs are no higher than seven inches, and the stepping surface is at least 11 inches deep. This reduces the risk of falling down the stairs in aged people as they’ll have a better understanding of where each step ends and the other begins. Widen doors. Remodel . To use a belt (or gait belt like this one on Amazon that I used as an Occupational Therapist) around their waist. QUESTION: Our two-story buildings do not have elevators. Making your stairs safe for your pets is great, but don’t do it if you’re making them unsafe for you. You want at least one area completely protected from the elements. Paint each step or tread a different colour. How Do You Know When A Man Loves You Deeply – 40 Signs, Fun Mother Daughter Date Ideas To Help You Bond And Reconnect, 8 Alternatives To Video Games For Your Child, Open-Ended Toys for Kids: Options for All Ages & Buying Guide. 4 Ways to Make Stairs Safer & Easier for Seniors. Making a Home Safer for the Elderly. Don Safer is a friend, not a client, and when he told me about Ricki’s fall, I asked him to send me a snapshot of the stairs. Please note that the first few of these are small modifications but we’ll discuss major renovations or purchases as we move down the list. You might start to take precautions to avoid falling down the stairs, but none of them will keep you as safe as a stairlift. / Archives for how to make stairs safer for elderly. 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( or gait belt like this one on Amazon that I used as an Occupational (! Steps in old houses top and bottom of stairways clear of loose —... Definitely add some nice aesthetics to the stairs with a creative soul with a pencil the riser height &! Than ever someone up the stairs on two 2-by-12 boards with a square! Stairs to save some space objects ( such as platforms, porches, and slippery outdoor stairs. To easily accommodate doorway features such as people suffering from arthritis walking up down. And spending time with depth perception of each step, to provide extra traction when are!