If your parent is having more trouble getting out of a chair, walking through the house, or getting into the bathroom, don’t ignore the change. These may be early signs that strength, balance, or mobility has declined.
Falls often happen when these changes combine with challenges in the home, such as poor lighting, clutter, medications, or slippery surfaces.
The good news is that many fall risks can be addressed. A safer home can reduce hazards, while improving strength and balance can make everyday movement easier and safer.
1. Make the Home Easier and Safer to Navigate
A home that once felt easy to move through can become more challenging as strength, balance, or vision changes.
Remove throw rugs
Throw rugs are common tripping hazards. Even rugs with non-slip backing can curl, bunch up, or catch a toe, shoe, walker, or cane.
If a rug isn’t necessary, remove it. If one is needed, make sure it is secure and does not interfere with walking.
Clear walking paths
Keep hallways and frequently used areas free of:
- Electrical cords
- Shoes
- Laundry baskets
- Small tables
- Pet toys
- Boxes and other clutter
Store commonly used items where they can be reached safely without unnecessary bending or reaching.
Improve lighting
Good lighting makes it easier to see steps, changes in flooring, and obstacles.
Consider:
- Turning lights on before walking through dark areas
- Using nightlights in hallways and bathrooms
- Keeping stairs and entrances well lit
- Installing switches at both ends of stairways
- Replacing burned-out bulbs promptly
Small changes to the home can make everyday walking safer.
2. Make the Bathroom Safer
Bathrooms can be especially challenging because they combine slippery surfaces with transfers.
Install securely anchored grab bars:
- Inside the shower
- Beside the bathtub
- Next to the toilet
Grab bars provide a stable handhold when getting in and out of the shower or on and off the toilet.
If your home has stairs, sturdy handrails are also important - ideally on both sides.
For nighttime bathroom trips, keep the path well lit and consider a nightlight so your loved one can see where they are walking.
3. When Getting Out of a Chair Becomes Harder
Sometimes the first sign of declining strength is not a fall. It’s difficulty getting up.
If your loved one is struggling to get out of their favorite chair, consider the chair itself - but also consider whether their leg strength has changed.
Chairs that are too low require more leg strength to stand from. Deep, soft furniture can make the task even harder.
For easier transfers:
- Choose a chair where the hips are slightly higher than the knees when sitting.
- Look for sturdy armrests that can provide support.
- Avoid deep, soft furniture that is difficult to get out of.
If standing from a chair has gradually become harder, don’t simply assume it’s “getting older.” It may be a sign that leg strength has declined.
The same applies to getting out of bed, getting on and off the toilet, or moving from one surface to another.
4. Pay Attention to Vision and Footwear
Vision plays an important role in safe movement. Changes in vision can make it harder to judge steps, curbs, uneven surfaces, and changes in flooring.
Have regular eye examinations and keep eyeglass prescriptions up to date.
If your loved one wears bifocals or progressive lenses, they can affect depth perception when looking down at stairs, curbs, or uneven surfaces. If this becomes a concern, discuss it with an eye care professional.
Footwear matters, too.
Walking barefoot, in socks, or in loose-fitting slippers can reduce stability. Supportive shoes with non-slip soles can provide better traction, even inside the home.
This is particularly important during nighttime trips to the bathroom, when reduced lighting can make walking more difficult.
5. Review Medications
Medications can sometimes contribute to fall risk by causing dizziness, drowsiness, lower blood pressure, or changes in alertness.
Pay attention if your loved one becomes more unsteady, dizzy, sleepy, or confused after starting a medication or changing a dose.
If you notice a change, talk with their healthcare provider or pharmacist. Never stop or change a medication without medical guidance.
Medication review can be an important part of understanding why a loved one’s balance or walking may have suddenly changed.
6. Look at How Your Loved One Is Walking
Changes in walking can provide important clues about what is happening physically.
Watch for:
- Shuffling or catching the toes
- Taking shorter steps
- Walking more slowly
- Holding onto furniture
- Needing a walker or cane more often
- Difficulty stepping over thresholds
- Becoming unsteady when turning
- Avoiding activities because of fear of falling
These changes don’t always mean a fall is about to happen, but they are worth paying attention to.
Ask yourself: What has changed?
Is your parent walking more slowly? Using the walker more often? Holding onto furniture? Avoiding certain rooms or activities?
A change in walking is often a sign that something else has changed physically.
Fear of falling can also change behavior. If your parent is avoiding stairs, outings, showers, or activities they used to enjoy because they are afraid of falling, don’t ignore the change. Less activity can lead to further loss of strength and confidence.
Sometimes the problem isn’t simply the walking itself. The legs may not be strong enough to perform the movements walking requires.
7. Build the Strength Needed for Everyday Life
A safer home can reduce hazards, but it cannot make weak legs stronger.
Leg strength plays an important role in many activities people do every day.
Having trouble getting out of a chair?The chair may be part of the problem - but declining leg strength may be the bigger issue.
Having trouble with stairs?The solution may be stronger legs to help push the body upward.
Catching the toes while walking?The solution may involve improving leg strength and mobility.
Having trouble recovering from a stumble?The solution may require both strength and balance.
Having difficulty walking throughout the home?The solution may be improving the strength and balance needed to repeatedly support and move the body.
This is why strength training should be connected to function.
The goal isn’t simply to lift more weight. The goal is to make everyday movement easier and safer.
Muscles can respond to progressive resistance training throughout life. With a structured program, many older adults can improve strength, balance, mobility, and confidence.
[Learn more about safe strength training for older adults.]
How Tandem Strength & Balance Approaches Fall Prevention
At Tandem Strength & Balance, we look beyond the fall itself. We look at what has become harder - getting out of a chair, walking, climbing stairs, or getting into the bathroom - and focus on the strength and balance needed to do those things safely.
Our ongoing strength and balance training after Medicare therapy ends is built around the activities that matter most to each person. Because we work in the home, we can address the challenges they face every day.
The goal isn’t simply to prevent the next fall. It’s to help older adults stay strong enough to keep doing the things that matter to them.
8. Maintain Strength and Balance
Reducing fall risk isn’t a one-time project.
Strength can decline. Balance can change. An illness, hospitalization, injury, or period of inactivity can also affect an older adult’s abilities.
Ongoing strength and balance training can help maintain the abilities needed for everyday life.
The important thing is to keep working on the activities that matter most - standing, walking, climbing stairs, getting in and out of the bathroom, and moving safely around the home.
A Simple Fall-Risk Checklist
Make the Home Safer
- Remove unnecessary throw rugs.
- Keep walking paths free of clutter and electrical cords.
- Improve lighting in hallways, bathrooms, stairways, and entrances.
- Install securely anchored grab bars where needed.
- Make sure stairways have sturdy handrails.
- Choose chairs that are an appropriate height and have sturdy armrests.
- Store frequently used items where they can be reached safely.
- Avoid ladders and step stools whenever possible.
Support Vision and Stability
- Keep eye examinations and prescriptions up to date.
- Consider whether bifocals or progressive lenses affect walking or stairs.
- Wear supportive, non-slip shoes instead of walking barefoot, in socks, or in loose slippers.
Review Medications
- Ask a healthcare provider or pharmacist to review medications if dizziness, drowsiness, or unsteadiness has increased.
- Pay attention to changes after starting a medication or changing a dose.
- Never stop or change medications without medical guidance.
Maintain Strength and Balance
- Pay attention to increasing difficulty with standing, walking, or transfers.
- Participate in progressive strength training regularly.
- Practice balance exercises regularly.
- Stay physically active in ways that are safe and appropriate.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the biggest cause of falls in older adults?
There usually isn’t one single cause. Falls often happen when several factors come together, such as declining leg strength, poor balance, vision changes, slower reactions, medications, or hazards in the home.
Is walking enough to prevent falls?
Walking is an important form of physical activity, but it does not provide enough resistance to maintain or improve all of the strength needed for everyday activities.
Progressive strength training helps target the muscles needed for standing, stairs, walking, and other functional movements.
Can medications increase fall risk?
Yes. Some medications can cause dizziness, drowsiness, lower blood pressure, or changes in alertness, which may increase fall risk.
If you notice new dizziness, unsteadiness, or other changes after a medication is started or a dose is changed, talk with a healthcare provider or pharmacist.
What should I do if I notice my parent is becoming less steady?
Don’t wait for a fall. Look at what has changed.
Are they having more difficulty getting out of a chair, walking, climbing stairs, or getting into the bathroom? These changes can be early signs of declining strength or balance.
Addressing changes early may help prevent further loss of function.
Is it too late to improve strength?
No. Muscles can respond to progressive resistance training throughout life. Older adults in their 70s, 80s, and 90s can improve strength and function with an appropriate exercise program.
Your Next Steps
You don’t have to change everything at once.
Start by looking at what your loved one is having difficulty doing.
Are they struggling to get out of a chair?Look at the chair - and consider whether leg strength has declined.
Are they catching their toes or shuffling?Look at the walking path - and consider whether strength, balance, or mobility has changed.
Are they unsteady in the bathroom?Look at the lighting, flooring, and grab bars - and consider whether getting on and off the toilet or in and out of the shower has become more difficult.
Are they using a walker more often?Don’t just focus on the device. Ask what has changed that made the device necessary.
Have they suddenly become dizzy or unsteady?Consider whether a medication or medication change could be contributing, and talk with their healthcare provider or pharmacist.
These functional changes can provide important clues about where help is needed.
Don’t wait for a fall to address a change.
If your parent is getting weaker, walking differently, using their walker more, or avoiding activities, those changes are worth addressing before a fall occurs.
If your parent is doing less because everyday movement has become harder, don’t assume it’s simply part of aging. Look at what has changed - and what can be improved.
Fall prevention isn’t about avoiding activity. It’s about maintaining the strength, balance, confidence, and mobility needed to keep doing the things that matter.
Small changes made consistently can help older adults stay safer, more active, and more independent at home.
References & Resources
- U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Falls Prevention in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: Interventions. The 2024 recommendation supports exercise interventions for community-dwelling adults 65 and older who are at increased risk for falls. The reviewed programs commonly included gait, balance, functional, strength, and resistance training. urlView resourcehttps://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/falls-prevention-community-dwelling-older-adults-interventions
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. STEADI: Older Adult Fall Prevention. CDC’s STEADI initiative provides fall-risk screening, assessment, and intervention resources for older adults, families, and healthcare professionals. urlView resourcehttps://www.cdc.gov/steadi/
- National Institute on Aging. Falls and Falls Prevention. Provides information on fall risk, home safety, vision, medications, balance, and staying active. urlView resourcehttps://www.nia.nih.gov/health/falls-and-falls-prevention
- U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Final Evidence Review: Falls Prevention in Community-Dwelling Older Adults. Reviews evidence on exercise and other interventions for preventing falls among older adults. urlView resourcehttps://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/document/final-evidence-review/falls-prevention-community-dwelling-older-adults-interventions