Have you made any small home changes to make life safer as you get older?

“I put all my cast iron pans on top of my kitchen cupboards so I have to stand on tipto to reach them and ^persuade them to come down, catching them as they do^”

Frankly, fit or not, that sounds bl***y dangerous!!

I've gone the other way.
I realize I'm one of the lucky ones to be perfectly able to do the things I did 20 or 30 years ago. I put all my cast iron pans on top of my kitchen cupboards so I have to stand on tipto to reach them and persuade them to come down, catching them as they do..
I walk across the fields or through the woods with my dog for a cple of hours most days and physically don't try to make life easier. I just believe challenging myself keeps me as fit as is possibly. Yes very lucky in that I'm still hale n hearty in all respects, except for my brain! I'm 79

Sorry Aldom - crossed post.

Regarding suction grab handles you need to get the ones with indicators which change colour to tell you when they might need reattaching. They change from green to red. Buy them from a decent retailer of disability aids. I detach mine occasionally to give them a clean and then reattach them. They haven’t let me down yet and I’ve had them since 2022.

I would just add that they work best on glazed tiles. I took mine way on holiday earlier this year but the shower had slightly textured panels and they wouldn’t work.

Madmeg my understanding is that suction grab rails will only stick to shiny tiled surfaces. I found out because I tried one on my 'mat' surface shower tiles and it would not stick. Later I came across the information re shiny surfaces only.
Since reading this thread I've bought the non slip shower sliders recommended on here. What a difference they have made to my safety when using the shower. They're completely non slip.
I thought I was going to have to change the shower tray for a non slip version. No longer necessary thanks to this thread.

Like Allsorts I too wonder about hard floors. Liquid falling on them must make them slippy. In bedrooms would definitely be out for me if upstairs. The noise, no thank you. If in a flat how do you stop noise transference to below without ripping up floors and having noise insulation installed. As a start, I've cleared out the loft. I already have a shower, wide disabled access doors on front and back doors, kitchen was renovated to accommodate wheelchair 4 yesrs ago. Recent purchae of sitting room furniture definitely not the popular low height and deep seating with no armrests. Think I have been gradually adapting without really knowing.

After a fall and two operations on my ankle which has left me with a limp I have grab rails in the bathroom and the door leading to the garden
I hated them at first but I have to admit I couldn’t do without them, my family are nagging me to get a stair lift but I’m trying to hold off as the thought of it is making me feel old, I’m 67 so no spring chicken I know but I think I will try and hold out a little longer for that, I’m looking for a bungalow instead

I am so aware of the importance of self preservation as I get older and try to think about keeping safe from falls. With small grandchildren regularly in our care there are often toy hazards to beware of so we both clear and move things quickly. We don't have any rugs, hard floor in hall, kitchen and bathrooms. We added a slim and elegant bar in the shower which we do use. We are about to have the shower room refitted and will have a low threshold tray this time. I have put a rechargeable automatic light on the skirting board in our bedroom which comes on if we get up in the night. This has been really helpful as my husband gets up very early and it is safer for him. Otherwise we are just more careful and sensible and use step ladders rather than chairs.

Can I ask those of you with "suction" grabrails in the bath to recommend ones that stay put? We have tried three different makes and all come unstuck.

I wish I could persuade DH to do away with carpet1s throughout - a nightmare to keep clean!

The only change I've made so far is to buy a bath seat so I can sometimes have a bath. If I get more unsteady I will be able to use it for showers as well. I have also moved things off the higher shelves in the kitchen. I don't feel safe now using a step to reach them.

One thing I hate is that most rails etc advertised as for 'elderly' (hate that word!) are white, clunky and ugly. If you're having a rail by the door I think it's worth seeing if there is a local smith that will make a beautiful black metal one. Same with railings down steps. When we had a new bathroom about 10 years ago, I made sure the shower included a grab rail. Chrome though, and gorgeous.

We had engineered wooden floors installed five years ago. It is very easy to keep clean.. just a quick vacuum and occasionally a wipe with a damp mop. We still have rugs but at the moment they are no trouble. The kitchen has been replaced with floor to ceiling units with pull out shelves and drawers. The ovens are waist level. I am quite short (5’2”) so much better than before where the microwave was level with the top of my head.. I have RA so am thinking of the future. Luckily we live in a bungalow with showers. No stairs to worry about

Not a small change, but when our kitchen was refitted,I had large deep drawers rather than cupboards. Much easier to see what's in there and to get stuff in and out.

We moved to a bungalow as part of our retirement plans, it already had handrails for the outside doorway, shower with built in seat, on a hospital bus route, local shop, doctor and vets all within walking distance. I know many people want to retire to the country but thoughts are that eventually as they get older many people can no longer drive and end up isolated with little to no infrastructure to support them

Yes, we moved with that very purpose in mind! Not a cheap tweak though!

No rugs anywhere, and I am gradually thinking about how to organise the kitchen so I don’t have to get a stepstool to reach things in high cupboards.

My main thing though is just to slow down a bit and do one thing at a time. When I rush or try to do two things at once is when I have minor accidents.

Sensor lights at the turn of the stairs, and in both bathrooms. Smart plugs and bulbs that Alexa can switch on and off by voice command eg for the tv, or on a set schedule for various lamps). Heated throws on the bed and sofa for immediate warmth.

I ripped out my bath and put in a large shower enclosure, which has room for a chair so I sit and have my shower. Also placed handrail along the stairs, non slip mats.

I’m 66, and last year was diagnosed with the start of small vessel disease. I have Fibromyalgia and ME, with balance issues.
I have had a second handrail fitted on the stairs, grab rails in the bathroom for the toilet and shower (ours is over the bath), also a seat across the bath and a grab rail in the downstairs toilet.
I still have a rug in the lounge and a non slip runner in the hall. It’s all little things to help me daily.

OliviaRema Just had a comfort height loo installed, it’s great!

We had the house re-wired when we bought it in 2015, so all the electric sockets in the kitchen and utility room are at table top level. So no bending down to plug things in. No loose flexes, or rugs with turned up edges on the floors. I have recently done away with a curtain rail, so using a stepladder is no longer necessary when curtains need washing.

That's it for now, but I expect I will make other changes when I think the time is right.

No-one else has mentioned this, but I got in touch with the local fire service and a fireman came and put up new smoke sensors and a carbon monoxide sensor. All free, and it's made me feel safer.

Sensor motion lights on the stairway are very helpful

Hubby and i live in a 4 bedroom 3 bathroom detached house , id like a 3 bedroom detached bungalow, ready to move into, after 35 yrs off getting our home spot on, we can't find a bungalow, either run down or too expensive, so we've decided to stay put and have either a stair lift or a proper lift fitted through the ceiling if and when needed, very private were we live in a small cauldicac with only 3 other houses,...WHAT'S NOT TOO LIKE

Over bath shower. Handle on wall to steady myself, stepping in. Also seat board across the bath.

Watermeadow was worried about installing a stairlift. I had one put in for my mother and was impressed that it did not 'damage' the walls at all. The support came from the treads on the stairs. When it was removed some years later, there was little evidence that it had ever been there.

I got rid of grass from front and back gardens. The front is just slow growing shrub and some trees. The back has area of gravel and gravel paths. I plan to extend gravel if gardening becomes burden.

Yes I wear soft flip flops in shower and do not have a mat. I keep a wicker chair alongside to use when drying off. I recently got a Karcher window cleaner gadget that suctions off the water splashes from tiles/glass. I have asthma so am vigilant about damp sources/mould indoors.