Indoor safety

Walkways
  • Clutter
    Ensure small furniture, pet bowls, trailing cables, and anything you could trip over, are not in your walkway.
  • Space
    Rearrange furniture to create wide, unobstructed routes – especially if you use a walking aid.
  • Items stored on stairs and hallways
    Never place belongings on steps or landings.
Flooring
  • Loose rugs or mats
    Loose mats, curled edges and uneven carpets increase the risk of slips and trips. You should remove or secure them.
  • Carpets secure and in good condition
    Loose or bunched carpets, and changes in flooring height can be hazardous, particularly if you have a visual impairment.
  • Avoid walking in socks
    Slippery laminate or tiled floors require shoes with grip.
Lighting and visibility
  • Good lighting
    Poor lighting increases your risk of tripping.
  • Night lights or motion activated lights
    These are ideal for hallways, stairs, landing spaces and routes to the bathroom
  • Light bulbs
    Replace dim or dead bulbs promptly, particularly in stairways.
A very cluttered and untidy bedroom with clothes strewn across the bed, floor, and furniture, including a laundry basket overflowing on a dresser, a desk chair draped with clothing, and a television on a cabinet in the background.

Bedroom
A woman brushing her teeth while looking at her reflection in a bathroom mirror, with a sink, soap dispenser, and toothbrush holder visible on the countertop.

Bathroom
I can see an older woman with white hair reaching up to a high wooden shelf/plate rack in a kitchen to retrieve or put away plates. She's wearing a leopard print top with red accents.

Kitchen
An older woman with white hair sits relaxed in a striped armchair in a cosy, eclectic living room, gazing toward a window with floral curtains.

Living room
A person inserting a 9-volt battery into a smoke alarm on the ceiling.

Fire safety
A healthcare worker in blue scrubs assists an elderly man using a walking frame along a bright hallway, with a built-in bench seat and decorative cushions along the wall.

Mobility aids
Last updated on 14/05/2026