As you go through your home, injury-proofing it room by room, don’t overlook your hallways and your stairs. These are high-traffic areas that often present challenges to a senior citizen’s mobility. By following a few simple guidelines, however, you’ll be able to make your stairs and hallways much safer and allow you to preserve your independence by staying in your own home. Here are few of the easy changes you can make to prevent falls and other injury-causing events in your hallways and on your stairs:

1. Be sure that stairways and hallways are well lighted. You’re at a much higher risk of hurting yourself when you can’t see where you’re going.
2. Install sturdy handrails that run the entire length of the stairs on both sides. Be sure to test them to make sure they can support your weight and are securely fastened to the wall. A good home contractor should be able to help you with this.
3. Make sure the foyer has a non-slip entrance.
4. Keep your steps in good condition. Inspect them regularly for chips, loose boards, and anything else that could trip you up.
5. Make sure that all your steps have non-skid strips. If they’re carpeted, make sure the carpeting is fastened securely and free of fraying or holes.
6. Install smoke detectors in all your hallways. Check the batteries regularly.
7. Place night lights in all hallways and by the stairs. This will keep you safe if you have to move about your home after dark, using your bathroom in the middle of the night, for example.
8. Install light switches at the top and bottom of stairways and at both ends of long hallways. Also consider automatic switches with motion detectors that turn on the lights as soon as you enter a hallway.
9. Make sure that inside doors do not extend over stair steps when you open them. Consider removing doors, if you don’t need them.
10. Be sure there is enough overhead space in the stairway to avoid bumping your head. If there isn’t, call on carpenter or contractor to help you resolve the problem.
11. Remove raised door thresholds from all room entrances.
12. Make sure the leading edge of each stair tread is very visible. You can use durable tape of a contrasting color for this.
13. What about the rest of your house?

Of course, making your home a safe place to live for years to come involves more than your hallways and your stairs. You’ll also want to injury-proof your kitchen, your bathrooms, your living room, and the exterior of your home.