Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, which means that people across the country are getting their homes ready for a deluge of guests coming over to take part in the festivities. Thanksgiving and other holidays bring a unique set of circumstances, though, that could easily contribute to injuries, especially if you’re having elderly loved ones over for the feast.
The threat of a fall gets exacerbated when persons who are more susceptible to this danger are exposed to environments they are unfamiliar with and that are filled with hazards that may not exist in their primary living space. As such, it’s up to you to protect your guests from twists, sprains, and fractures that could result on the holidays. The Mayo Clinic has outlined how to do so, and we’d like to frame their advice through the lens of Thanksgiving.
When guests arrive, you have to think about those hazards that have become such a standard part of your living environment that they don’t even enter into your consciousness anymore. You may be used to sliding past that dining room table that juts out into a walking space, but that doesn’t mean that your guests will be accustomed to the same.
Clear walking paths of anything that could feasibly cause someone to trip, even if that means designating a room in your home as storage for the day. Make sure that tables and various types of furniture are set up in a way that provides ample room for those persons who will be navigating your home.
This same attentiveness must extend to all those things that could trail along the floor. Any type of cord needs to be tucked away so that it doesn’t tangle up someone’s feet, and if you have a bunched-up carpet, try to un-bunch it. Tape rugs down to the floor so that they don’t slide beneath an individual, and make sure that floors are clear of spills and that your bathroom comes equipped with a floor mat that makes planting one’s feet far more stable.
Visibility is going to be another way you can discourage the possibility of a fall. With guests roving through your house, turn on the lights in those areas of the home you want them to gather in. Shut off the lights and close the doors where you don’t want them to be. Illuminate dark corners where obstacles may be hard to discern, especially as the sun starts to go down.
You want your guests to be safe this Thanksgiving, and taking steps to reduce the risk of a fall is how you do this. Speak with mobility-impaired guests ahead of time to see if there are any additional precautions you might take or assistance you might give, and have a happy Thanksgiving.