Stairways to Safety

We’re all familiar with the phrase, “watch your step.” It doesn’t just pertain to walking on a sidewalk or path, it holds true to elevated surfaces, especially stairs. Stairs can quickly become you're worst enemy if you don’t step on them properly.

At the beginning of summer my friend decided that it was time for a furniture face lift; so I helped her move pieces out of her home. While carefully carrying her couch down her staircase she slipped and fell down several steps. Her fall resulted in a severely sprained ankle, which was debilitating; and to make matters worse it was the beginning of prime time beach season. 

Looking back, I've thought about all the ways in which her fall could have been prevented. She should have been wearing proper shoes (sneakers not flip flops). We should have cleared the stairway before moving anything, especially at the top and base of the stairs (clutter definitely hindered our path). Her beautiful, yet slippery, hard wood floors could have been treated with some sort of clear anti-slip treads. Unfortunately, the fall occurred which at the time was out of our control. However, what we can control are the means in which we prevent it from happening again. 

Here are a number of ways to combat the causes for falls and make stairs safer to use: 

1. Take Your Time: There’s no need to rush down the stairs. A phone call or visitor at the door can wait. Be alert and deliberate. Hold on to the handrails and be extra cautious when there are any transition between surfaces.

2. Tread Lightly: If your stairs are made of a smooth material (wood, painted, tile, etc) install rubber, abrasive treads or anti-slip tape for proper footing and grip. You can find clear anti-slip treads that won’t take away from the beauty of your floors. If your stairs are carpeted, be sure the carpeting is securely installed and not sagging or loose in any areas. 

3. Clear the Clutter: Keep the top and bottom of stairways clear of loose rugs; they are a tripping hazard. Remove any objects like books, shoes, clothes, kids toys, etc., and make sure that any furniture on landings doesn’t block the pathway.

4. Let there be Light: Stairs should never have lower illumination levels than adjacent areas; that’s just a recipe for disaster. Use low-glare overhead lighting, and in senior homes install a stair lighting kit to ensure each step is distinctly visible. Verify there are light switches at both the bottom and the top of the stairs; if there aren’t, have them installed.

5. Use the Railings: Handrails are strongly recommended. In fact, it’s suggested they be installed on both sides of the stairwell when possible. Position handrails at adult elbow height and attach them securely to walls and posts.  Be sure to extend them the full length of the stairs, including beyond the top and bottom.

6. Safe Soles: Proper footwear influences balance and can alleviate the risk of slips, trips, and falls. Walking indoors in socks, high-heeled shoes or even barefoot has been shown to increase the risk of falls, especially for older individuals. Be conscious of what is on your feet while moving up and down your stairs.  

At some point in our lives, stairs will become an issue for all of us. That doesn’t mean we have to stop using them entirely, or even be scared of climbing them. It just means that taking some extra precautions to make our stairways safe is important and necessary to remain injury free!

Every Path Leads to Home Safety

Daily routines consume our lives. Whether you’re a stay at home mom, working dad, high school student, or retired grandparent, everyone has their own schedule. 

We were recently contacted by a client to review and update the interior space for his mother, who had been living in her home for 52 years. Her husband had passed away in the last year, and she was looking forward to remaining in her home and "aging in place". Our job was to create a safe, comfortable and beautiful home to help her remain happy and independent for as long as possible. The son was busy decluttering, going through photos, and clothing in preparation for our work together. As we toured through the home, they both shared some important stories regarding their home and their lives. 

Although we were hired to help with the interior space, we were asked to review some plans that were already in process regarding improvements to the exterior yard. As the story was told, the mother had recently fallen on the front step while running across the front lawn to reach the covered porch to the front door. The son explained that he had just cleared the yard, was installing new sod, and repaving the driveway and pavement and creating an additional pavement from the driveway to the front door to alleviate the issue which had recently occurred. Upon examination of the plan, and review of the space, we discovered that the primary problem with the path to the door was actually the one step up to the front door. To our surprise, one pathway took us in another direction that changed how we were helping our clients.  We brainstormed a few different options and decided to schedule another meeting with the landscaper and the pavement contractor to determine the best cost effective solution. 

At our next client meeting, we agreed that the best solution would be to retain the step, install a railing around the entire raised porch, and install two small handrails next to the step to assist in walking up the step. Although the preferred solution would have been to put in a gently sloping ramp at the front entry, we decided to install a small ramp in the garage in order to create an accessible entryway into the home, so safety mission accomplished. 

At the end of the meeting, we said our goodbyes, got in our car (which was parked on the street in front of her home), and to our dismay we witnessed an entirely separate issue that wasn’t even on our radar. Our client was slowly walking down her front lawn to her mailbox. No walkway, no railings, no safety what-so-ever! She was so sweet, smiling and waving not even realizing our dropped jaws from what we just witnessed. Her daily routine incorporated walking down that unpaved railing-less path to her mailbox and back to her house. Questions began streaming through our heads: 

• Does she walk to her mailbox everyday or does her son normally get the mail? If so, what is she using for support? Is it lit at night?
• What does she do if it's raining, or in ice and snow? Does she walk this same unsafe path with an umbrella in her hand? 
• And the biggest question of all, why hasn’t her mailbox been moved to some place that’s easily accessible (like next to her driveway or mounted to the wall directly outside of her front door)? We actually discovered this unlikely location was "grandfathered in". They went out of their way to keep it in the same place it had always been!

It seems like such an obvious problem right? Yet we didn’t even catch it until witnessing it ourselves right before we left. This brings us back to the notion that we discussed in last weeks' post about staying aware, proactive, and up-to-date on home safety recommendations, and the need for a full safety review to highlight these issues. Sometimes we can catch these things if we, stay long enough in your home, but sometimes a complete Home Safety Review is required to uncover areas we may not quickly observe.  

Since we pride ourselves on providing our clients and others, with cost effective and easy to implement ways to improve home safety and home independence; when we saw our client take this trek to her mailbox we knew our work here was just starting. We suggested moving her mailbox from the street to the front porch. Since collecting her mail is an essential part of her daily routine, it’s important that we ensure the process is convenient, easily accessible, and can be executed safely everyday. Moving her mailbox to the porch will lower the chances of her falling, eliminate any restrictions of gathering her mail in a variety of weather conditions, and ultimately allows her to continue with her daily routine in a safe manner.  

Where is your mailbox located? Whether it’s at your home, your parents home, or the homes of your neighbors in your town, I'm sure everyone could take the time to check it out. All pathways must be clear, accessible and safe (especially those to exterior locations like your mailbox). So, we hope this information encourages to take a closer look at your current routines and make any adjustments to improve your home safety. 

Home Safe & Sound

People always look forward to returning home safe and sound. Your home is where memories are made, friends are always welcome, and your loved ones feel most comfortable and safe. However, it’s often that injuries occur in the comfort of your own home. In fact, according to the National Safety Council (NSC), “falls are the leading cause of injury-related death for adults ages 65 and older.” Many of these unintentional home-related injuries occur in common places like stairs, doorways, ramps, uneven surfaces, and crowded spaces.

Fortunately, your home doesn't need to be a potential danger zone. If you remain aware, proactive, and up-to-date on home safety recommendations, you are well on your way to creating a safe home environment. Here are a few of our favorite recommendations:

1. Clear Path

Maintaining a clear path throughout your home, including stairways, exterior walkways leading to other exterior areas of your home such as mailboxes, gardens, and garages should be clear of clutter. Arrange or remove furniture so there is plenty of room to walk around. It seems simple, but things really do get in your way!

2. Flooring

Use of the proper flooring materials throughout your home are important to avoid slipping or tripping. Minimize flooring transitions through the use of a continuous flooring when possible, use lower pile carpet, and the use of rubber floorings are all good choices. If area rugs are present, they should be slip resistant or tacked down. Don't forget to reduce the perils of slippery stairs with slip resistant treads or carpeting. Bathrooms and wet areas are particularly dangerous, so wipe up water spills and use non-skid mats. 

3. Lighting 

Natural light makes everyone feel great, so let the sun shine in. Start with opening your shades and blinds. Ensure that there is adequate man-made lighting for reading, working in the kitchen, in closets, in the bathroom and nightlights for navigating in kitchen, bath and hallways.  Additional lighting on stairs, (on handrails, walls or underneath stairs), and use of motion-sensor lights to light exterior walkways or to illuminate interior spaces that are difficult reaching to manually light. 

4. Accessibility 

It's important to store items you use regularly within reasonable reach, including food, dishes, bathroom items, and clothing. How often do we get out a step stool or reach beyond our comfort zone and injure something or just fall off? 

Whether you read this and think about your parents, grandparents, siblings, friends or neighbors, we hope to share useful and important information that can help anyone feel safe in their own home. It is easy to target seniors, yes, but the reality is, that they aren't the only ones that can benefit from making simple adjustments around the house. 

This blog, and the work we do on a daily basis, is about providing our clients and others, with cost effective and easy to implement ways to improve home safety and home independence. We will explore topics in more detail as we go, and share personal stories and client experiences to relate real stories of everyday living to help others improve their own home safety, accessibility and comfort. 

So join us in our journey to help you return to a safe and sound home!