Reduce Fall Hazards with a Decluttered Apartment

With the new year just around the corner, many are thinking about ways to improve their health, homes, and overall wellbeing. One resolution that’s worth considering is creating a safer living space, particularly for those at increased risk of falls and other household accidents.

A simple way to reduce these risks is by decluttering your apartment. In fact, making small changes to your home can significantly reduce the risk of falls and ensure your home is a sustainable place for long term independent living.

Read on for tips on how small changes can have a huge impact on your long term safety and independence.

1. Create a clear entryway: The area immediately around your front door likely sees quite a bit of traffic, and while it’s easy to get into the habit of dropping shoes, bags, and coats in this area, every item in your entryway presents a potential fall hazard.

One solution is to look into organizational furniture, like a shoe rack, coat hanger, and other tools that allow you to quickly access these commonly-used items while keeping walking spaces clear.

2. Manage cables and wires: between lamps, appliances, and other electronics, it can feel like loose cables and wires just multiply on their own. These obstacles present a significant trip hazard, particularly for those who do not raise their feet high off the ground when walking.

To prevent possible falls, consider reusable zip ties to bundle cables together and/or take up extra slack. Additionally, look into solutions to affix wires along walls and out of high traffic areas of the home.

If a set of cables must cross a commonly used walkway, cable covers or even a thick line of tape can be used to ensure they are not snagged by your foot.

3. Store items off the floor and based on use: Over time, it’s easy to accumulate a lot of “stuff” that doesn’t have a dedicated home. Rather than storing loose items in piles or stacks, consider investing in see-through plastic storage bins to make stacking containers in closets easier.

When thinking about storage, be sure to store items based on how frequently you use them, and store containers with commonly-used items between knee and shoulder height to avoid injuries when accessing these containers.

4. Light up a room: Lighting can be a constant challenge in many apartments, but good visibility is critical when creating a safer, cleaner-feeling space. Adhesive tap lights are a great way to eliminate shadowy corners of a living space without taking up floor space, as is looking into brighter bulbs for existing light sources in the home.
5. Remove excess furniture: It can be easy to get attached to long-held pieces of furniture collected over a lifetime, however an apartment with excess furniture can create constant fall hazards and make spotting items on the ground more difficult. Worse yet, hitting a piece of furniture during a fall can exacerbate other injuries.

When thinking about decluttering, prioritize sturdy, stable furniture that provides storage space and fits in the home without encroaching into walking paths.

6. Learn to love the “one year” rule: simply put, one of the easiest ways to avoid potentially fall-inducing clutter is to maintain a “use it or lose it” policy about items around the house. If, in the course of decluttering, you find items that you haven’t used in a year or more, consider starting a donation box, reaching out to friends who might like the item, looking for a storage solution outside your home, or simply leaving it on the curb.

Space can be at a premium in many apartments, so lowering the overall amount of stuff in your home can help ensure you can always find items you need, while reducing the need for storage outside of closets, shelves, and cabinets.

7. Cycle seasonal items: Chances are you don’t need flip-flops in February, or a parka in August. Knowing this, consider organizing your clothing and other seasonal items by the time of year when they see the most use. As the temperature begins to drop, you can cycle your warm weather clothing into storage or harder to reach shelves, making it easier to find your cold weather clothing when you need it most.

SelectCare hopes you found these tips helpful and that they serve as a good jumping off point if you make a resolution for a neater, safer living space in the new year.

Our team of home health care experts have more than 40 years of experience helping New Yorkers live happier, healthier lives in their long-time homes.

SelectCare clients all receive a free in-home care assessment before beginning services, and our nurse supervisory team makes particular note of potential fall hazards as we learn how our services can best support you and your long-term independence. Additionally, our staff of compassionate in-home caregivers are eager to assist you in maintaining a safe home environment and can provide the support you need, when you need it to remain safe and comfortable in your long-time home.

To learn more about how we help, call SelectCare, read testimonials from past and current clients, or request a free in-home health care guide today.