What do you do to prevent falls?

Good article in the NYT
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/07/health/falls-deaths-elderly-drugs.html?smid=url-share

This is the most important topic in Aging Well!
-Grab bars. Lots of them.
-Handrails on both side of the stairs.
-Rugs attached to the floor, no loose edges.
-From bed to the bathroom: emergency support all the way.
-Carry things reasonably, don't overload your arms with all you can carry at once.
-Kitchen: things on shelves not too high or too low.
-Simple exercises to improve balance, leg and core strength.
-Good shoes, cleats for icy weather.
-Have a nice walking stick or staff for outdoor walking.
(I recently had a serious bout of vertigo, and all of these were very important for my safe functioning.)

Great advice from @edsutton. Few things I will add
- De-clutter - less on floor, less likely to trip on something
- Good lighting - leave light on in bathroom at night
- In winter climate, keep driveway and sidewalks clear. Have salt / sand available to apply to icy patches. If possible, stay home after snowfall till streets, parking lots and sidewalks are clear.
- My elderly neighbor uses a shower chair with sturdy handles when gardening outside. Gives her support when goes to stand up.

I re-did by bathroom last year for walk in shower, and grab bars were high priority, in shower and handle on wall outside of shower.

There are many articles on subject, I will just reference one on Mayo Connect Newsfeed: “Help I’ve Fallen…”:
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/blog/living-with-mild-cognitive-impairment-mci/newsfeed-post/how-to-prevent-help-ive-fallen/
When I read article, I laughed when saw comment about closing dishwasher door. I did that once, left open, ran into, broke door and left me with a terrible bruise. I now have dishwasher that has pull out drawers instead of a door that drops down. Easer to load and do not have to bend over.

I was told that the most helpful thing I could do is the one legged stand. I stand on one leg for two minutes each day. It took me quite a while to get to two minutes. But I can feel a difference…much steadier.

Here's another Mayo article on Fall Prevention - https://connect.mayoclinic.org/blog/traumatic-brain-injury-mrfi/newsfeed-post/fall-prevention-1/. There are also a few related discussions that might be helpful:

-- How do you feel about falling?: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/how-do-you-feel-about-falling/
-- Falling for no apparent reason: Any ideas?
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/falling-for-no-apparent-reason/

At age 73 years I know my balance is not what it was even 10 years ago. I have made many of the changes around our house that are mentioned by @roch @sandrahunter @edsutton and @gravity3. I no longer get up on ladders and in the past I used to climb up extension ladders on my own! No more. We updated our bathroom 10 years ago and removed the bath/shower combination and instead put in a shower only with grab bars. My husband has a tendency to clutter the floor and I remind him not to do that. He says "I think you need to be more mindful" and my response? "Look, I've always been a klutz so let's not make it even easier for me to trip and fall". I have done tai chi and it didn't resonate with me. Yoga does. I need to get back to yoga as this was and is one of the best meditative practices for me that includes balance.

My mother fell at age 68 and broke her hip. This was in the 1980's and she had undiagnosed severe osteoporosis. Like my mother, I have osteoporosis, although I was diagnosed over 10 years ago. I monitor my calcium intake, do weight-bearing exercises including weight lifting and I have taken the medication recommended by my endocrinologist (1 year of Evenity following by a Reclast infusion - the results were significant gains in bone density in my hip and lower back). My mother was inactive and frail during the last years of her life. I do everything I can to make sure I do not fall.

@gravity3 Thank you for starting this discussion.

No longer ashamed to need to use a cane almost all the time.
No carpets in house.
Pickup the cat toys everyday.
Watch where my feet are placed. I have neuropathy in my left leg, and cannot always be sure if where I step is a safe step.
Ginger

Good, strong, excellent, and proven advice above from everyone.

Two big things interfere with our sense of balance and our ability to keep ourselves erect: medication (too often polypharmacy) and sarcopenia. The first is rather clear, if unfortunate, and the second (muscle loss) is just a fact of life, aged life.
Quick turns, in loose fitting slippers that drag on the floor, or that catch on throw rugs, are often what causes falls. Failing vestibular systems (inner ear). Not lifting one's feet off the floor, and shuffling, often from a fear of falling.
Building muscle and muscle tone is important. Too many fail to do it. If you already have trouble getting into, but especially out of, a chair, then you should seriously consider fixing that. It can be done, it might not be pretty or fun, but inside of a month you might be surprised at how capable you are if you do exercises daily.
Balance exercises (see YouTube videos under a search for 'Balance exercises for seniors'). Or try a search for, 'preventing falls in seniors'. Then............................................DO THEM!!! At least three times each week. Forever.
If you could live without some of the medications you've been prescribed, it might help...a lot! By now, you probably need one or two to live well enough to keep living, or to want to. But some of them you might find you can drop, safely, with consultation, especially if modifying your lifestyle takes up a lot of what they do for you. I'm not suggesting you ARE taking unnecessary medicine. I'm suggesting that you may want to experiment, with a physician's support and agreement, to try to wean yourself off one of them, maybe two or three. It's worth a shot.

I read this thread and realize I need to do better. I jump around too much like at the gym….on and off equipment….up and off curbs, up and down stairs….Also, I need to reconsider my footwear. Slip on sandals with no straps….probably not the most secure thing for walking around shopping.

I fell down and fractured my hip and ever since then I been wearing barefoot shoes while walking and exercising keeps me balanced