Checklist: 11 Safety Steps for Your Low-Vision Parent's Home

11 Safety Steps for Your Low-Vision Parent's Home

Tack down mats, throw rugs, and runners.

Repair or replace slippery or buckled flooring, too.
Use nonskid mats.

These are essential on the bathroom floor and in the bathtub, but they can also help under throw rugs.
Install grab bars.

A basic must-have for tub and shower.
Install a handrail along stairways.

Extend the railing beyond the top and bottom steps for extra stability.
Mark steps with brightly colored tape.

Use a different color to distinguish the top and bottom steps from the rest of the stairs.
Tack down electrical cords.

Even better, remove them from walkways wherever possible.
Keep a phone for emergency calls in the same place at all times.

Buy a large-button phone if your parent can read the numbers; if not, preset the emergency numbers.
Replace tables that have sharp corners.

Use round tables instead, or add corner bumpers.
Place as much furniture as possible against walls.

Keep desk and dining chairs pushed in and don't move the furniture around once your parent knows where it is.
Provide adequate lighting.

Good lighting is especially important in hallways and stairways.
Make taking medications simple.

Use pill organizers or talking labels to get your parent's medication doses ready for the week.

11 Safety Steps for Your Low-Vision Parent's Home


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