Preferred Care at Home has helped families keep elderly parents at home since 1984. Falls at home tend to start somewhere ordinary: a loose stair runner, a dark hallway, a bath mat that slides.
The CDC reports that more than one in four older adults falls each year. Less than half of them tell their doctor, according to the same CDC data.
This audit walks your parent's house the way a fall would find it, from the front steps inward. Families in Lexington and across Central Kentucky can finish it in an afternoon with a flashlight and a second set of eyes. It's also a way to talk about home safety without starting a fight about moving.
Start at the Front Steps and Every Staircase
The CDC's Check for Safety checklist asks for a light and switch at the top and bottom of every staircase. It also wants handrails on both sides, running the full length of the stairs.
We'd fix a wobbly rail before buying any gadget, because your loved one grips that rail every day. Check each set of steps indoors and out:
- Nothing parked on the steps: no shoes or folded laundry waiting to go up
- No broken or uneven steps, including the porch and the back stoop
- Stair carpet firmly attached to every step, or swapped for non-slip rubber treads
- A working bulb in every stairway light, with a switch you can reach before the first step
Come back in January too. Wet porch steps and early darkness change how a staircase feels underfoot.
Grab Bars Come First in the Bathroom
- Grab bars next to and inside the tub, and next to the toilet
- A non-slip rubber mat or self-stick strips on the tub or shower floor
Both fixes come straight from the CDC's Check for Safety list, and both cover the moments a body is wet and changing height. If you only fix one room this month, make it this one.
Don't count a towel bar or the sink edge as a handhold. Have a real grab bar put in, by someone who anchors it properly.
Walk the Path From Bed to Bathroom After Dark
Two CDC questions cover the bedroom: is the lamp near the bed hard to reach, and is the path to the bathroom dark? Walk that route yourself after sunset, in socks, with the overhead lights off. That's the trip your parent makes in the middle of the night.
Some nightlights go on by themselves after dark, the CDC notes, so nobody has to remember a switch. Its brochure adds that older adults need brighter lights to see well as we age, and light curtains or shades reduce glare.
Look down on the way back. The same CDC checklist flags these floor and kitchen hazards:
- Throw rugs without double-sided tape or a non-slip backing
- Lamp or extension cords crossing a walkway instead of taped along the wall
- Furniture that forces a detour through the room
- Everyday dishes on high shelves instead of about waist high
A step stool needs a bar to hold on to. A chair is never a step stool, and that rule belongs on the fridge.
Medicines, Eyes, and Feet Belong on the List
| What to check | Who checks it | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| All medicines, including over-the-counter ones | Doctor or pharmacist | Could any of these, alone or together, cause sleepiness or dizziness? |
| Eyes and glasses | Eye doctor, once a year | Is the prescription current? Is there glaucoma or cataracts? |
| Feet and shoes | Healthcare provider, once a year | Should we see a foot specialist? Which shoes give the right support? |
The CDC's What You Can Do to Prevent Falls brochure puts the medication review first, because the way medicines work in the body changes with age. Bring the actual bottles to the appointment, not a list from memory.
Ask for a fall risk assessment by name. A provider can't address a risk nobody raised.
Where to Find a Balance Class Nearby
Kentucky emergency departments logged 45,154 fall-related visits from residents 65 and older in 2019, according to the Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center.
The same KIPRC report names evidence-based fall prevention programs such as A Matter of Balance, Bingocize, and Tai Chi. Tai Chi is also the CDC's example of exercise that improves balance and builds leg strength.
The Kentucky Safe Aging Coalition shares its checklists through local health departments, Area Agencies on Aging, and senior centers. Around Fayette County, that means the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department, the Bluegrass Area Agency on Aging and Independent Living, and the Lexington Senior Center. Call and ask which of these programs meets this season, and where.
The right class is the one your parent will go back to next Tuesday. Ask about seated options and start times before signing up, then offer the ride.
What the Audit Tells You About Help at Home
We're a non-medical home care office, so we don't provide nursing. A caregiver is also no substitute for a grab bar or a handrail.
What we do provide fills the gaps a checklist can't close:
- Companion and homemaker care for the chores and errands that send someone up a step stool or down the stairs with an armful of laundry
- Personal care, meaning assistance with bathing, dressing, and grooming, the moments the bathroom check was about
- Transition Care for the trip home from UK HealthCare's Albert B. Chandler Hospital, CHI Saint Joseph, or another hospital
- 24-hour care when the night trips to the bathroom are the real worry
Chandler is the region's only Level I trauma center, so families here face complex discharges often. That first week home is when a second person in the house matters most.
Every caregiver passes our 7-step screening process and is matched by personality, life experience, and care needs rather than availability. If a match doesn't work, we find a different caregiver.
Questions Families Ask After an Audit
Should my parent tell the doctor about a fall that didn't hurt?
Yes, right away. Falling once doubles the chance of falling again, according to the CDC.
Can the fear of falling make things worse?
The CDC notes that many people who fall become afraid of falling, even without an injury, and cut down on everyday activities. Its brochure adds that lack of exercise leads to weakness.
Does Medicare pay for a caregiver to help prevent falls?
Medicare typically doesn't cover non-medical home care, but long-term care insurance often does, depending on the policy. Veterans and surviving spouses may qualify for VA Aid and Attendance, and our page on Medicare and personal care has the details.
How soon can care start after the audit?
Usually within days. Our free in-home consultation takes about an hour with no obligation, and care runs from one hour up to 24 hours with no minimum and no long-term contract.
Bring Your Checklist to a Free Consultation
Bring the finished list, and we'll sort out which gaps a handrail fixes and which ones need a person. We'd rather point you to a grab bar than sell you hours you don't need.
If you're arranging care from out of state, the Transparency Room shows caregiver schedules, visit confirmations, and daily notes from anywhere. Call Preferred Care at Home at (859) 800-6237, or Get Care Now to set up a visit.
