1. Medications. Multiple medications from various Doctors such as anti-depressants, sedatives, and anti-psychotic drugs are all factors in increasing the risk of falling with injuries for seniors. 

2. Environmental home hazards. Thirty-three % of all senior falls involve hazards in the home. Attributing factors include: frayed carpets, low lighting, and lack of safety equipment.

3. Impaired vision. Seniors suffer from age-related vision diseases.  Seniors are not quick to get updated eye exams, as well as not wearing glasses that have been prescribed, or misplacing eye glasses. 

4. Need for physical activity. Seniors are likely to exercise less than their younger counterparts.  Less regular exercise results in loss of balance, poor muscle tone, reduced flexibility, and decreased bone mass. 

5. Diseases. Medical conditions such as Arthritis, Parkinson's disease, Dementia, and Alzheimer's disease can cause cognitive impairment, balance issues, weakness, and poor grip strength.

6. Surgeries. Various surgeries such as hip replacements can leave a senior in pain and weak.  With discomfort the senior is less mobile than they were prior to the surgery. 

Many falls can be prevented.  You can make a senior's home safer by using products that help seniors fall less. Here are several tips to consider to make a senior's home safer today.

• Move furniture, so a senior can hold on to stable furniture as they walk in the house.
• Install a taller toilet or add a stool seat to aid getting on and off the toilet easier.
• Use a non-stick tub mat and install non-stick tape to the bottom of the tub.
• Install shower handrails and safety and grab bars in the bath and toilet areas.
• Remove and replace frayed and loose floor rugs.
• Consider installing a stairway handrail that assists beyond the stair steps.
• Check hand railings for strength and stability. Can you improve stability?
• Are stairwells lit well?  Make home lighting brighter to improve vision.
• Remove clutter and any item that is not needed. All furniture should be with rounded corners and stable to minimize fall injuries.
• Check rugs, even on stairs, and make sure rugs are tacked to the floor.
• Remove electrical cords across the floor. Contact an electrician to install base plugs to remove long cords.
• Seniors must wear non-slip shoes with no heels, rather than moving around in slippery socks.
• All rooms need adequate lighting. Use night lights. Install motion-sensitive lights that come on when entering a room.
• Organize frequently needed items in cabinets for ease of use.
• Purchase a grasping tool to aid in getting out-of-reach items.  Move the stepladder into the garage out of reach.
• To avoid burns and scalding, set the water heater thermostat to 120 degrees F.
• Consider hiring an in-home caregiver to help clean spills and remove broken glass on a daily basis.

The following are some products to use to keep loved ones from falling and improve home safety:

Grab bars. Install grab bars in the bathtub, shower and toilet.
Fall mats. Install fall mats on a hard floor by the bed or toilet to cushion a fall.  Use floor mats in areas where a senior could be injured from a fall on a hard floor or in front of a chair. Floor mats are cushioned with various sizes of 1-inch or more thickness with beveled edges. They cushion falls and prevent injuries.
Transfer bench and Shower Chair. When using the tub, transfer benches improve safety for the caregiver to transfer the senior into and out of the bath tub safely, without injury to the senior or caregiver.
Non-Slip Mats. Install these mats on the shower or bath tub floor. The hard rubber material prevents slipping and improves stability.
Shoes, Slippers and Socks. Wearing properly fitted non-heeled, non-slip footwear for walking to improve traction. Socks and shoes are available with non-skid treads on the bottom, to keep seniors safe and help reduce accidents.  The senior should not walk barefoot.
Walkers and Canes.  Walkers help seniors feel steady and walk more securely. Make sure the walker or cane has been properly fitted for your senior.  You need to measure the correct height of cane for your senior, and the walker or cane needs a rubber tip on the bottom to improve safety.
Sensor Pads and Monitors. Sensors work best for the bed, toilet or chair. The electrical pad detects the absence of pressure, and then sends an electronic signal to the monitor, which then sets off the alarm. The pressure pads can be used on top of a mattress. They are thin, so as not to disturb sleeping, and are monitored through a phone line.
Lifts. Lifts can be a big help if the patient is not able to assistance in transfers.  Lifts are used to transfer a senior who is unable to move from the bed into the chair or wheelchair. You may want to rent a lift sling if the senior is too heavy to be transferred without assistance or to avoid injuring the caregiver or patient.