Staying safe in your home

If you find dressing difficult, there are a few things you can try to remain independent. Choosing appropriate styles and fabrics, and adapted clothing, as well as using special techniques or equipment can all help to make dressing easier.

• Skirts and trousers with elasticated waistbands are often easier to manage than those with fasteners.
• Loose-fitting and stretchy clothing, without fastenings, such as t-shirts, are often easier to manage. This eliminates the need to fasten your clothes with buttons or zips.
• If choosing clothing with fasteners, make sure the fastener is easily accessible, such as being at the front.
• Magnetic or velcro fasteners are usually easier to manage.
• Clothes made from knitted fabrics are often easier to manage than more stiff, woven fabrics.
• Smooth, slippery fabrics such as silk are usually easier to get on and off, as they glide easily over your skin or other layers of clothing.
• Zips can be quicker and easier than buttons, although open ended zips can be difficult to align and fasten if you have pain or stiffness in your fingers.
• Extended tabs or loops can be added to zips to make them easier to grip and fasten.

If you have difficulty getting in and out of a bath, standing in or using a shower and standing at the basin, there are a few things that you can do yourself:

• Put nonslip strips, mats or tiles in your tub and shower to help prevent falls. To prevent tripping, secure any loose corners on mats.
• Keep the bath clean to avoid slippery soap scum or mould.
• Keep the bathroom floor dry, making sure it has no water on it. A weighted shower curtain helps make sure that no water leaks onto the floor.
• Your bathroom should be adequately lit during the day and night.
• Equip your shower with a handheld or adjustable shower head. You can manoeuvre it where you want it, minimizing your movement in the shower.
• Put items you use regularly in easy reaching distance so you don't have to stand on steps, bath edges or move around a lot to reach them.
• Take your time as the more you rush, the more likely you are to fall.

Using the toilet is something most people take for granted. If assistance is required it can cause distress. Here are some things you can try:

Make sure the way to the toilet and the room is well lit at night.

Consider if a special frame, rails or a higher seat would be best to help you get on and off the toilet.

Never use a walking frame to hold onto whilst standing from a toilet, as it is not designed for this purpose and could easily tip over.

Talk to your GP about any continence issues.

As you get older, your risk of falling increases. Even if you are still active, you could have poor eyesight, slower reaction times, weaker muscles, or problems with your balance. All of these can lead to accidents or falls.

Tips to prevent you from falling

• Keep your home clutter and obstacle free, especially stairs, so you can move around easily.
• Use high wattage bulbs to provide good lighting.
• Wear well-fitting shoes or slippers.
• Get help if you need to lift something heavy.
• Do gentle exercise to improve your balance and muscle strength.
• Have regular health and eye tests.
• Eat a healthy, balanced diet with plenty of calcium to keep your bones strong.

What to do if you fall

If you fall when you are alone, get help and keep yourself warm. If you're worried about getting help, you may want to get a community alarm that you can wear around your neck. Pressing the alarm will alert our response centre staff and they'll ring you to see what's wrong.

After your fall

When you next see your doctor or nurse, tell them about your fall. They can check whether a health problem is causing you to fall and if it's likely to happen again. If it is, they may give you medication to improve your condition.

You could also be referred to falls therapy, where a physiotherapist will be able to give you further advice about how to avoid falls and possibly issue you with assistive equipment.

Make sure you tell your family you have had a fall, so they can keep an eye on you and make sure you get any treatment you might need.