Fall Prevention for Older Adults

Improving Independence in the Home Environment: Assessment and Intervention

Safety

Problem	Potential Intervention
Difficulty locking doors	Remote controlled door lock Door wedge Hook and clean locks
Difficulty opening door and knowing who is there	Automatic door openers Lever door knob handles Intercom at door Video intercom (building supply store)
Opening/closing windows and shades	Remote controlled windows and shades Lever and crank
Can’t hear alarms, smoke detectors, phone ringing, or doorbell	Blinking lights Vibrating surfaces
Access to emergency exit	Must have alternative means of exiting home in case of emergency Fire blanket
Lighting	Illumination 1 to 2 feet from object being viewed Change bulbs when dim, not burned out Adequate lighting in stairways and hallways Night-lights
Glare	Light-colored sheer curtains on windows with direct sunlight Gradual decrease in illumination from foreground to background

Note: The interventions described in this assessment serve only as suggestions. A complete assessment of a person’s individual needs should be conducted by a team of licensed and trained professionals. Any intervention or modification to a building must comply with local, state, and federal laws and building codes. In apartments or rental homes, written permission to make modifications should be obtained from the landlord, owner, or property manager. Architectural interventions should be assessed by a licensed architect and carried out by a licensed construction contractor.

Reproduced from: Assessment and Intervention of the Home Environment for Older Persons, Center for Therapeutic Applications of Technology, University of Buffalo, 515 Kimball Tower, 3435 Main Street, Buffalo, New York, 14214-3079, phone (716) 829-3141, fax (716) 829-3217. http://wings.buffalo.edu/academic/department/hrp/ot/cat/

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Last updated: 16 September, 2009

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