• The elderly are prone to falls and can benefit from a safety checklist for their home.elderly lady image by pixelcarpenter from Fotolia.com
  
  According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, injuries that occur in the home are quite common among the elderly, disabled individuals and small children. To combat this, California has created a Home Safety Checklist to provide guidelines for the standards that each room in each senior citizen's home should meet. In addition to the specifics for each room, a person should have an emergency exit plan as it applies to the entire home in case of fire. The resident should also list emergency phone numbers near the phone.
  
  

Living Room and Family Room

• Have an easily accessible light switch as soon as you enter the living room area. Keep all cords out of the walkway, where they will not cause someone to trip. Carpets should lie flat and small rugs should not slide. Avoid objects in the passageways. To prevent fires, keep curtains and furniture a minimum of 36 inches from any baseboard or portable heaters.
  
  

Kitchen

• Ensure that the stove controls are easy to use, and see that loose fitting clothes, towels and other fabrics are away from the stove burners so as to avoid them catching on fire. Place items used regularly within reach, minimizing the need to climb on something to reach them. If a step stool is necessary on occasion, make sure it is is sturdy.
  
  

Bedrooms

• All bedrooms should have a working smoke detector that will activate in case of fire. Remember to keep all curtains at least 36 inches from baseboard and portable heaters as a fire safety precaution. Make light switches easily accessible by placing them both in the entryway to the room and near the bed. Ensure that the phone is close to the bed and leave on a light at night between the bed and the bathroom.
  
  

Bathroom

• The bathroom tub should have a nonskid surface, such as a mat, and the tub and shower should have a sturdy bar for holding to prevent falling. Keep the hot water temperature in the house to 120 degrees Fahrenheit or lower to prevent accidental burns. The bathroom floor should also have a nonslip surface or a rug with nonskid backing. Install any necessary bars or equipment to make sitting down and getting up from the toilet easier.
  
  

Stairs

• Have a light switch installed at both the top and bottom of the stairs. Keep the stairwell light bright enough so the outline of each step is easily visible. Handrails on each side of the stairs, running the full length of the stairs, will help prevent falls. Ensure that no steps are loose, broken or missing pieces.
  
  

Hallways, Passages and Entrances

• Ensure that the rugs or runners in all hallways and passageways do not slip. Also verify that all carpets lie flat and that all cords are out of the way, so no one trips on them. Make sure that all entrances to the home have outdoor lighting and that the outdoor home walkways do not have any holes or cracks that may cause someone to fall.