Preventing Falls at Home: A Guide for Older People and Their Families

Why do falls happen?

Most falls have more than one cause. Often it is a mix of the person, their health and their surroundings:

• weaker muscles and poorer balance
• changes to eyesight or hearing
• dizziness, for example when standing up
• side effects from some medicines, or taking several at once
• foot pain, or shoes and slippers that don’t fit well
• not drinking enough, or not eating well
• a urinary infection or other illness, which can make someone suddenly unsteady or confused
• hazards at home: rugs, cables, clutter, poor lighting, wet floors
• living with dementia, Parkinson’s or the effects of a stroke

This is good news. Because there are usually several causes, there are usually several things we can change.

How can I make the home safer?

Walk through the home slowly, ideally with the person who lives there. Look at it from their height and ask, “Where might I catch my foot, slip or lose my balance?”

Throughout the home

• Clear walkways. Move low tables, stools and piles of post or clothes.
• Remove or secure loose rugs and mats. Use non-slip backing, or take them away.
• Tuck cables and phone leads against the wall.
• Make sure every room and the stairs are well lit, with switches easy to reach. A light that comes on automatically can help at night.
• Wipe up spills straight away.

Stairs

• A sturdy handrail on both sides if possible.
• Nothing stored on the steps. Mark the edges of steps with contrasting tape if they are hard to see.

Kitchen

• Keep everyday items between hip and shoulder height, so there is no need to climb or stretch.
• Never use a chair or stool as a step ladder.

Bathroom and toilet

• Non-slip mats in the bath or shower, and grab rails where needed. A shower seat can make washing safer.
• A raised toilet seat or toilet frame can help if getting up is hard.

Bedroom

• A bedside lamp within easy reach, and a clear path to the toilet.
• Sit on the edge of the bed for a minute before standing.
• A phone or alarm within reach of the bed.

Many of these items are small adaptations that can be arranged through the local council or NHS occupational therapy team, so it is worth asking. Kent Fire and Rescue Service also offers free home fire safety visits, mainly for older people, including help with trip hazards and smoke alarms. Call them on 0800 923 7000 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm).

How can I stay strong and steady?

• Keep moving. Regular walking, gardening, dancing or chair-based exercise all help. Little and often is better than rarely and hard.
• Strength and balance exercises are the most effective single step. Ask the GP or practice nurse about local classes and home exercise programmes. Look for ones designed for older people.
• Look after feet. Cut toenails regularly and see a podiatrist if there is pain, corns or swelling.
• Wear the right footwear indoors. Shoes or slippers should fit well, have a back and a non-slip sole. Avoid walking around in socks, tights or bare feet.
• Check eyes and ears. Have a sight test at least every two years (sooner if vision changes) and a hearing check if hearing seems worse. Take care with varifocal glasses on stairs.
• Eat and drink well. Dehydration and poor nutrition can cause dizziness and weakness. Aim for regular drinks through the day. If drinking is hard, some people find hydration sweets such as Jelly Drops helpful.
• Look after your bones. Strong bones make a broken bone less likely if someone falls. Ask a GP or pharmacist about bone health and vitamin D, especially after a broken bone. Check before starting any supplement.
• Review medicines. Ask a GP or pharmacist whether any medicines could affect balance or cause dizziness. Don’t stop taking medicines without medical advice.
• Take care when standing. Before you stand, warm up your feet for 5 to 10 seconds: flex and relax them, then lift them up and down as if stepping on the spot. This helps get the blood moving. Then stand up slowly, and pause before walking off, especially first thing in the morning.
• Check again. Go back over these steps once a year, and again after any fall, change in health or new medicine.

Why are falls more likely with dementia?

Dementia can make a fall more likely. Someone living with dementia may find it harder to judge distances, notice hazards, remember to use a walking aid, or ask for help.

• Keep the home familiar. Try not to move furniture around. Changes can cause confusion.
• Make floors easy to read. Strong patterns, dark mats and shiny floors can look like steps, holes or water. Plain, matt, evenly lit floors are easier.
• Light the way at night. Night lights between the bedroom and bathroom can reduce night-time wandering and trips.
• Help them find their way. Pictures or clear signs on the doors of the bathroom, bedroom and kitchen can help someone who feels unsure of their surroundings.
• Watch for changes, sudden or gradual. If someone becomes more confused or unsteady than usual, it may be an infection or another illness. Changes can build up over a couple of days, so don’t wait for something dramatic. Ask the GP or call 111.
• Support, don’t restrict. Staying active is protective. Our carers focus on making activity safe, rather than stopping it.

For more on supporting someone living with dementia, see our Dementia Care Training Guide.

What should I do if someone falls?

If you fall

1. Stay calm. Take a few minutes to check for pain or injury before you move.
2. If you feel able to get up, roll onto your side, then to your hands and knees. Crawl to a stable chair or bed if needed, put one foot flat on the floor and push up slowly. Sit and rest before doing anything else.
3. If you can’t get up or you’re hurt, use your pendant alarm or phone. If you can’t reach one, shout, or bang on the floor or wall.
4. Keep warm with a blanket or coat if you can reach one. Move parts of your body that don’t hurt, and change position now and then.

If you find someone who has fallen

1. Stay with them and keep them calm, comfortable and warm. Don’t rush to lift them.
2. Ask if they are in pain, and where. Look for bleeding, bruising, or a leg or arm that looks the wrong shape.
3. Never lift or pull them, even if they seem unhurt. If they are not hurt and feel able, talk them through getting up slowly on their own, using the steps above and a sturdy chair. Our carers never lift anyone from the floor.
4. If you are unsure, or they can’t get up on their own, don’t move them. Call for help.

Call 999 if the person who has fallen:

• may have injured their head, neck, back or hip
• cannot get up, even with help
• is very drowsy, confused, vomiting, or not fully awake
• has severe bleeding, chest pain or difficulty breathing

Call 111 (or use 111.nhs.uk) if:

• they are in pain, feel unwell, or you are worried they may be injured
• they are not hurt but cannot get up, and no help is available
• they have had a fall and take blood-thinning medicine. Seek medical advice the same day, especially if they hit their head, even if they seem fine.

What should happen after a fall?

Even a fall with no injury is worth acting on.

• Tell the GP. Say what happened and how it has affected confidence and daily life. Ask them to refer you to the Kent falls prevention service, run by Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust. In Kent you can’t refer yourself: referral is through a GP or another health professional. Who can be seen differs between East and West Kent, and the service aims to see people within 12 weeks of referral, so ask early. If the GP is already involved, they may refer to the falls team or to a home treatment service linked to NHS 111.
• Consider a private occupational therapist. NHS occupational therapy can have long waits. A private assessment is another route to the right equipment and adaptations.
• Write down what you notice. When and where it happened, what they were doing, whether they felt dizzy, and whether there were any warning signs. It helps professionals find the cause.
• Talk about the worry. Fear of falling is real, and it can lead people to move less, which makes falls more likely. Reassurance and a plan help.

If a person has repeated, unexplained falls or injuries, always ask why. It is usually health- or home-related, but unexplained injuries should be taken seriously. Our Safeguarding & Whistleblowing guide explains how we approach this.

How can home care help?

Home care can’t remove every risk, and we would not want to. Independence matters. What we can do is notice, support and respond:

• helping with washing, dressing and getting about safely, at the person’s own pace
• spotting small changes early, such as new unsteadiness, confusion or reduced appetite, and reporting them
• encouraging drinks, meals and gentle movement
• keeping walkways clear and making sure alarms and walking aids are within reach
• night care, so someone is there if the person needs the toilet in the night
• company and reassurance, so a fall doesn’t lead to a loss of confidence

If you would like to talk about whether care could help someone stay safe at home, call us on 01892 575 499. There is no obligation and no pressure.

Find out more about our day care, night care, live-in care, dementia care, Parkinson’s care and stroke care.

Common questions

Sources and further reading

• NHS: Falls (nhs.uk) and “Are you at risk of falling?” (nhs.uk/live-well)
• Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust: Falls prevention service (kentcht.nhs.uk)
• Age UK: Falls prevention
• Kent Fire and Rescue Service: Safe and Well visits
• NHS 111: 111.nhs.uk

Written by Rachael Fox, Registered Manager. Published 9 November 2026. Review by November 2027.