Falls-proofing your home and health: a practical checklist

A room-by-room home safety checklist, plus a medicines review, eyesight, feet and footwear, bone health, hip protectors and vitamin D, to help you and your family lower the risk of falls.

7 min read · last reviewed October 1, 2026

Most falls happen at home, often doing everyday things like walking to the bathroom at night or reaching for something on a high shelf. The good news: small changes to your home and your health can make a real difference. Use this checklist with a family member or friend. It's a great job to do together.

Room-by-room home safety checklist

Floors and walkways (every room)

• Clear clutter, shoes, cords and boxes from places you walk.
• Remove loose rugs, or fix them down with double-sided tape or a non-slip backing.
• Fix loose or curling carpet and uneven floor edges.
• Arrange furniture so you have clear, wide paths.
• Wipe up spills right away.
• Watch for pets underfoot.

Stairs and steps

• Have sturdy handrails on both sides, running the full length of the stairs.
• Make sure stairs are well lit, with light switches at the top and bottom.
• Keep stairs clear. Never leave things on the steps "to take up later."
• Mark the edges of steps with bright, contrasting tape if they are hard to see.
• Fix any loose or broken steps.

Bathroom

• Put grab bars by the toilet and in the tub or shower. Towel rails aren't strong enough to hold your weight.
• Use a non-slip mat in the tub or shower, and on the floor beside it.
• Consider a shower chair and a hand-held shower head.
• A raised toilet seat can make standing up easier.
• Use a night light so you can see your way at night.

Bedroom

• Keep a lamp or light switch within reach of your bed.
• Use night lights between your bed and the bathroom.
• Sit on the edge of the bed for a moment before you stand up, especially at night.
• Keep a phone or personal alarm by the bed.

Kitchen

• Keep things you use often between waist and shoulder height.
• If you must reach higher, use a sturdy step stool with a handrail, never a chair.
• Wipe up spills right away.

Outside

• Keep paths and steps well lit and in good repair.
• Clear leaves, snow and ice. Use salt or sand in winter.
• Use ice grips on your shoes or a cane with an ice pick in winter.
• Carry things in a bag or backpack so a hand is free for the railing.

Something you can do today: Walk through your home with fresh eyes and fix the first trip hazard you find.

An occupational therapist can do a full home safety assessment and suggest changes. Ask your doctor about a referral. Some provinces, states and community groups offer this for free.

Ask for a medicines review

Some medicines can raise your risk of falling by making you sleepy, dizzy, light-headed or unsteady. These include some:

• Sleeping pills and medicines for anxiety
• Medicines for depression, mood or other mental health conditions
• Strong pain medicines
• Blood pressure and heart medicines, and water pills
• Allergy and cold medicines that cause drowsiness

Taking four or more medicines also raises the risk.

Falls guidelines recommend a medicines review for people at risk of falls. Ask your doctor or pharmacist to go through everything you take, including over-the-counter products, vitamins and herbal remedies. Sometimes a dose can be lowered, a medicine changed, or one stopped safely. Never stop a medicine on your own. Some need to be reduced slowly.

Something you can do this week: Put all your medicines in a bag, including vitamins and creams, and take it to your pharmacist for a "brown bag" review.

Check your eyes

• Have your eyes checked regularly, at least every one to two years, or as your eye doctor advises.
• Cataract surgery, when it's needed, can lower the risk of falls.
• Keep your glasses clean and within reach.
• Take extra care with bifocal or varifocal glasses on stairs and curbs. Some people find single-vision distance glasses safer for walking outdoors. Ask your optometrist.
• Give your eyes time to adjust when moving between light and dark rooms.

Look after your feet, and choose good shoes

• Good shoes: a firm, thin, non-slip sole, a low, wide heel, and a back that holds your heel. Laces, buckles or Velcro help them fit snugly.
• Avoid loose slippers without backs, socks or stockings on hard floors, high heels, and very thick, soft soles.
• Look after foot problems, such as pain, corns, bunions or long toenails. A foot care professional can help.
• Tell your doctor about numbness in your feet. It can affect balance.

Get up slowly

If you feel dizzy or light-headed when you stand, your blood pressure may be dropping. Before you get up:

1. Sit up for a moment.
2. Move your feet and ankles up and down a few times.
3. Stand slowly, and hold on to something steady until you feel ready.

Tell your doctor if this happens often.

Look after your bones

A fall is much more likely to break a bone if you have osteoporosis (thin, weak bones). Many people don't know they have it until they break a bone.

• Ask your doctor whether you should have a bone density test, especially if you're a woman 65 or over, have broken a bone in a minor fall, or have other risk factors.
• Eat foods with calcium and protein, and ask about vitamin D. Guidelines suggest vitamin D supports bone and muscle health, but there isn't good evidence that it prevents falls on its own.
• If you have osteoporosis, effective medicines can lower the risk of fractures. Ask your doctor.
• Strength and balance exercise is good for your bones as well as your balance.

What about hip protectors?

Hip protectors are padded underwear that cushion the hip in a fall. Research suggests they probably lower the chance of breaking a hip for people living in nursing homes, but they make little or no difference for people living in their own homes. They only work if you wear them, and many people find them uncomfortable. Ask your care team if they might help you.

Stay connected and prepared

• Carry a mobile phone, or wear a personal alarm that you can use if you fall.
• Arrange a daily check-in with a friend, family member or neighbour.
• Learn how to get up from a fall. See our guide What to do if you fall.

Questions to ask your care team

• Could any of my medicines be increasing my risk of falling?
• Can I be referred for a home safety assessment?
• Do I need a bone density test?
• Should I take vitamin D or calcium?
• Would hip protectors or a personal alarm be useful for me?
• When should I next have my eyes checked?

This article is general information, not medical advice. Talk with your health care team about your own situation. In an emergency, call 9-1-1 or your local emergency number.

In an emergency, call 9-1-1 or your local emergency number.

General information, not medical advice. It does not replace your own care team. If you think you or someone else is having a medical emergency, call 9-1-1 or your local emergency number. If you are in crisis or thinking about suicide, call or text 9-8-8 (Canada and the US).

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