The checklist
The home safety walk-through checklist
Walk it with your parent, not for them. Take a pencil and ask what is hard. Nothing here is a diagnosis or a code check; it is a list of things to look at.
- 1
The tub edge
How high is the step over it? Can your parent do it while holding something solid, not a towel bar or you?
- 2
The shower controls
Can your parent reach them without leaning into the spray or standing on a wet floor?
- 3
Beside the toilet
Is there a solid wall or bar to push up from? A towel bar will not hold weight.
- 4
The floor
Is it slick when wet? Does the mat slide?
- 5
The sink
Can your parent reach the faucet and mirror without leaning, and stand or sit there for a few minutes?
- 6
The light
Is there light from the bedroom door to the toilet at night, without turning on a bright overhead?
The rest of the house
Room by room
Tick what is true today. A gap is not a failure; it is something to talk about.
Outside and the entry
A rail on both sides of the steps
An even path to the car, clear of ice and leaves
A porch light that shows the keyhole and the steps
A place to set a bag down while unlocking the door
Halls and doors
Doorways at least wide enough for a walker
Thresholds that do not catch a foot
Floors with no loose edges or curled rugs
Night lights along the way to the bathroom
The bedroom
A bed at a height where feet reach the floor when seated
A lamp within reach, and a phone
Clear floor between the bed and the door
A chair to sit in while dressing
The kitchen
Everyday dishes at shoulder height, not on the floor or above the head
A stable place to sit while cooking
A stove with controls at the front
A floor that is not slick when something spills
Stairs
A rail on both sides, top to bottom
Stair edges you can see, with contrast
A light switch at both ends
Nothing stored on the steps
Laundry and living areas
Laundry on the main floor, or help with the basket
Chairs a person can stand up from without pushing hard
A phone within reach of the favorite chair
Cords and rugs out of the main path
What to do with it
After you have walked it
- 01
Look for the pattern
One loose rug is a small thing. A dark hall, a high tub edge and a bar that is not in the wall in the same room is a pattern worth fixing first.
- 02
Ask your parent what they avoid
The stair they skip, the shower they dread, the chair they will not stand up from. That list matters more than yours.
- 03
Bring it to the walk-through
We start from what you marked and what your parent said. Then we look for what neither of you saw.
Bring your marked-up list
We will start from what you and your parent noticed, then look for what you did not.