In two ways. Firstly you can organise your home so that it
is free from potential hazards such as slippery, polished floors, loose rugs and
mats, trailing electric cables, and general clutter left on the floor. It will
also help if you arrange your furniture to make moving around the house as easy
as possible (for example, make sure that you don’t have to avoid the coffee
table every time you walk from your sitting room to the kitchen to get a cup of
tea). Keep an eye open for pets – an affectionate cat or over-enthusiastic dog
could also create hazards.
Secondly, you need to make sure that you are walking,
turning round and getting out of your chair and so on as safely as possible. A
special word of warning against reaching out for furniture to support yourself
when moving around the house: doing this could make falls more likely.
Although it is easy for us to say ‘don’t rush’, we know
that it is difficult to break the habits of a lifetime. However, do try not to and, if there are
particular occasions which tempt you to rush, such as the telephone ringing,
consider placing a phone next to your usual chair, having some extra phones
installed or switching to a cordless phone.
