Falling, especially for individuals who are over 65 years of age, is extremely serious. According to the CDC, one out of four seniors has a serious fall each year, and these falls result in things such as broken bones, head injuries, hip fractures, and serious cuts. Many falls take place within the confines of home, which is good news. There are multiple steps you can take to make your home a less fall-worthy place.

#1 Get Rid of Clutter

Start with decluttering your house. Clutter not only fills up your home, it can be a hazard as well, especially when that clutter overflows onto the floor or when that clutter sticks out from your bookshelves and tables.

Getting rid of clutter can be a big step, so don't try to do it all at once. Focus on going through a bookshelf, a table, or an area at a time. As you go through the clutter, make sure to assign a home to everything left behind, and make sure none of those homes are on your floor or sticking out of bookshelves in a hazardous way.

Get some help going through your closet as well. Trying to get something out of a closet that is overfilled can be extremely dangerous. Try and get someone younger to help you with the task of decluttering your home.

#2 Add More Lights

As you age, your eyesight and awareness of your surroundings can change as well. That is why it is important to make sure that your home is well lit. You may want to add motion-detection lights to your hallways and bathrooms, to ensure that you are never walking around in the dark.

In some of your light fixtures, you may just want to change out the bulbs you have for lighter bulbs that let off more light. The more light you bring into your space, the better. You may also want to add more floor and table lamps to your home. More light can help you avoid trip and fall situations.

#3 Get House Shoes

Next, invest in some house shoes. House shoes are shoes that you specifically wear inside of your home, and don't wear outside. You can get house shoes that are more slipper-like, or you can purchase a pair of comfortable tennis shoes and turn those into house shoes. The truth is walking around in socks is comfortable, but it can also be dangerous. You are more likely to slip wearing socks than you are house shoes that have traction built into the soles of the shoe. If you can't ditch your socks, purchase non-slip socks that have grips on them to help keep you upright.

Make changes to your house to decrease your risk of falling. Declutter your home, add more lights, and get some house shoes. Keep in mind that these are only a starting point. There are more modifications you can make to your home, and modifications you can make to your physical activity to help reduce your risk of falling. If you have experienced falls in the past, work with your doctor to come up with a comprehensive fall reduction plan that may include fall prevention PT services.