Transcript of Preventing Falls by Adapting Your Home - Surfaces Video
NARRATOR 1: A man and woman walking in a living room.
NARRATOR 2: Making sure that the surfaces you walk on every single day are safe and free of hazards is critically important to preventing falls. Here are some guidelines to follow.
NARRATOR 1: Photos of a carpeted hallway.
NARRATOR 2: Use solid colors of carpets, tiles, and linoleums. Patterns can be disorienting for some seniors with vision loss. Tack or tape down the corners of mats and rugs or use a non-skid mat under rugs to prevent tripping.
NARRATOR 1: A person tapes down an area rug.
NARRATOR 2: Check mats and rugs frequently for fraying or for edges that are coming undone and are potential tripping hazards. Avoid waxing hard surfaces with slippery or glossy wax.
NARRATOR 1: A photo of a person's feet wearing sandles, standing on a brown floor. The right foot stands on a section that has a dull surface. The left foot stands on a section that has been waxed and is glossy.
NARRATOR 2: Check for places in your home where the floor surfaces change—this is often from room to room. Any change in a surface, such as a change from carpet to a tile floor should be detectable and level. Avoid running electrical cords across the floor and walkways. Instead, tack cords along the wall or use a color cover strip. By taking a few simple precautions and making small adjustments to the surfaces in your home, you are helping to prevent a future fall.
NARRATOR 1: Four images are shown. A cord running across a rug; a man and woman walking through a living room; a person applying tape to the underside of a rug; and a person stepping from a carpeted area onto a tiled floor.
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Vision loss doesn't have to work against you.
