The following list is an example of actions that you can take to keep yourself safe in your home and prevent falls.

• Make sure there is adequate lighting in all rooms and walkways in your home.  This may be accomplished by using brighter lightbulbs, nightlights in the corridors and bathroom, and entry lights for your doors to the outside.
• Arrange your furniture so there are clear pathways and stable furnishings for balance and support. 
• Use non-skid rugs and carpets on slippery floors, and use non-skid wax on floors.  Scatter rugs can be a significant problem in homes, especially for the elderly.
• Make sure your carpet is in good condition, tape down any edges that may stick up, and place rugs over seams to create smooth transitions from room to room.
• All stairways should have a stable handrail that is easy for you to grasp for support and balance.
• Replace chairs that are hard to get out of with chairs that are easy to get up from and sit down in, or use a seat cushion to raise the height of your seat.  Make sure your chairs all have arm rests.
• Use an elevated toilet seat or install a toilet safety frame.
• Install a handrail or grab bar in your shower or bathtub, or use a shower chair.
• Apply non-skid strips to the bathroom and use non-skid rubber mats in showers or bathtubs.
• Store objects that you use all the time at waist height and avoid using stepping stools or chairs to reach objects that are above your head.
• Maintain adequate calcium intake.  Calcium can be found in many forms of food, such as dairy products and green leafy vegetables.  Talk to your doctor to see if you need additional calcium supplementation and Vitamin D.

Over fifty percent of people who fall and fracture a hip end up in a nursing care facility.  Many times this can be prevented with the simple fall prevention guidelines above.

Falling and fracturing a hip can increase your chances of dying, according to some studies, by up to 20 percent in the first year after the fracture of the hip.  Ask your physician whether or not you are a candidate for screening for osteoporosis--which might increase your chances of breaking a bone if you do fall.  Osteoporosis is truly an epidemic especially in our elderly female population.