Free printable checklist
Home safety checklist for older adults
Walk through the house room by room and tick off each item. Most fixes cost little and take an afternoon. Do it before a hospital discharge if you can.
Entrances and stairs
- Sturdy handrails on both sides of every staircase
- Lights at the top and bottom of stairs, with switches at both ends
- Nothing stored on steps
- Outside steps and walkways shaded; non-slip surface by the pool or patio
- House number visible from the street for ambulances
Bathroom
- Grab bars by the toilet and in the shower or tub
- Non-slip mat inside and outside the shower
- Shower chair and handheld shower head
- Raised toilet seat if getting up is hard
- Night light on the way from bed to bathroom
Bedroom
- Lamp and phone within reach of the bed
- Bed at a height where feet rest flat on the floor
- Clear path from bed to door
- Bedside commode for nights after surgery
- Bedroom moved downstairs if stairs are unsafe
Kitchen
- Everyday items between waist and shoulder height
- No step stools or chairs used for reaching
- Stove auto shut-off or knob covers if memory is a concern
- Spills wiped up straight away
- Fridge checked weekly for expired food
Throughout the home
- Throw rugs removed, or taped down
- Cords kept out of walkways
- Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms tested
- Water heater set to 120°F or lower
- Emergency numbers posted by the phone
Arizona summer heat
- Air conditioning serviced before summer, thermostat set no higher than about 80°F
- A plan and a phone number for when the A/C fails
- Water within reach all day; a family check-in call on extreme heat days
- Errands and walks done early in the morning
- Ask the doctor which medicines raise heat risk
Medications
- One up-to-date medication list, with a copy in the wallet
- Weekly pill organizer filled by family or a nurse
- Expired and stopped medicines removed
- Same pharmacy for everything, so interactions get caught
- A plan for who notices if doses are missed
Finest Care · finestcare-az.netlify.app · (818) 272-1507 · Non-medical home care across the Phoenix area and Tucson.