Environmental checklists

Falls involving environmental hazards occur in and around the home, and in public spaces. Hazards can include poor lighting, slippery or uneven surfaces, and obstacles in walkways or poorly contrasting objects and steps. There is growing evidence that home hazard assessment and modification may help reduce falls when conducted by a trained health practitioner, where it is targeted to those with an increased risk of falling and where risk taking behaviour is also addressed. Adherence to recommendations is a key component when evaluating the effectiveness of home assessment and modification strategies.

Studies indicate that compliance varies between 30-80% and issues such as cost, availability, aesthetics and the perception of risk all impact on whether recommendations will be followed.

Health practitioners conducting home assessments need to be aware of compliance issues and ensure that people understand why a recommendation is made ie. establish relevance, and look for solutions that may meet the needs of the person. For example, a mat can add an aesthetic look to the home which the person wishes to keep; therefore securing the mat may be a more acceptable option than total removal. Another example is that a person may be reluctant to have a metal banister rail or handrail installed at the front of their home for aesthetic reasons. An alternative may be installing a hand-rail that blends in with the features of the existing home, giving consideration to other issues, such as cost.

An example of a home environment checklist designed to prevent falls has been included below, together with links to other resources relating to environmental hazards. These include home environmental checklists and information for distribution to seniors, environmental audit forms for use in residential aged care facilities, and local government information related to falls and injury prevention in public spaces.

• Home environment checklist

• Other environmental tools/checklists