How to Make Mom's Bathroom Safer From Falls
Use the free tool — Home Safety Walk
Why the bathroom is the riskiest room
One in four adults over 65 falls each year, and most falls happen at home — often on a rug, a step, a dark hallway, or in a bathroom with nothing to hold onto. The bathroom combines wet floors, hard surfaces, and few places to grab, which is why it deserves a close look first.
What to check, room by room
Describe the bathroom in your own words: the tub or shower, the toilet, the flooring, the lighting, and whether mom uses a cane or a walker or has trouble seeing. Mention the last fall if there was one.
- Is there a grab bar or rail near the tub, shower, or toilet?
- Are there loose rugs or mats without a non-slip backing?
- Is the lighting bright enough, especially at night?
- Are there steps, thresholds, or an uneven floor?
Fixes in order: this weekend, this month, and who to call
Once you describe the home or the fall, the tool sorts the fixes by priority:
- This weekend — changes that are free or under $30, like removing loose rugs or adding a nightlight.
- This month — buying and installing grab bars, rails, or better lighting.
- Call someone — questions to ask a doctor, the Area Agency on Aging, or a landlord.
What Medicare or a local agency may help with
The tool tells you what Medicare or a local agency may help with, but it can't guarantee coverage. Medicare may cover an occupational-therapy home assessment — a hands-on, in-person inspection of the home — but only when a doctor orders it. Confirm coverage with Medicare or the agency directly.
What this guide can't do
Home Safety Walk is a general guide based on CDC fall-prevention recommendations (CDC STEADI). It has not seen the home and cannot assess it in person, and it cannot assess a person's balance or medications. This is not medical advice. For balance problems, dizziness, or medication side effects, talk to the doctor or pharmacist. This is also not legal or tax advice — check with a professional or the agency for anything official.
What to do next
Use the free tool to describe mom's bathroom room by room, or the fall that already happened, in your own words. It reads what you write and turns it into a prioritized fix list — organized by this weekend, this month, and who to call — that you can print and take to the hardware store or the doctor's office.
Home Safety Walk is an informational tool based on public fall-prevention guidance (CDC STEADI). It cannot see the home, assess a person's balance or medications, or replace an occupational-therapy home assessment, which Medicare may cover when ordered by a doctor. Price ranges are typical US retail figures. It is not affiliated with any agency, manufacturer or facility.