Making an Indian home safe for an elderly parent

Indian bathrooms are often wet all the time, with no separation between the bathing area and the rest of the floor. Add soap, a step at the door and poor lighting, and it is the most common place for older adults to fall.

Fit grab bars next to the toilet and in the bathing area, screwed firmly into the wall. Towel rails and taps are not strong enough to hold body weight. Use an anti-slip mat with suction cups, or anti-slip tiles or coating if you are renovating. A plastic bathing stool with rubber feet lets your parent sit to bathe instead of standing on a wet floor.

Keep a light on at night or fit a motion-sensor light. Remove the raised step at the bathroom door if you can, or mark its edge with a bright strip.

Squatting and rising from a squat needs strong legs, good knee and hip movement, and balance. Many older adults lose this ability gradually, often without telling their children, and a squat toilet becomes a daily fall risk.

Options include a commode chair, a portable seat that fits over the squat pan, or converting to a Western toilet with a raised seat and grab bars. If your parent prefers squatting and can still manage, a grab bar at the right height gives them something solid to hold.

Polished marble, granite and vitrified tiles are slippery, especially in socks or when wet after mopping. Indoor footwear with a closed back and a non-slip rubber sole is safer than bare feet or loose slippers.

Small loose rugs, doormats that slide, wires across walkways and things kept on the floor are common trip hazards. Remove them, tape the edges down, or use rubber-backed mats. Mop while your parent is resting and keep them off wet floors until they dry.

Make sure there is a firm handrail along the full length of the stairs, ideally on both sides. If the steps are all one colour, mark the edge of each one with contrasting tape. Good lighting with switches at both the top and the bottom matters.

Many homes have single steps between rooms, onto the balcony or at the main door. These are easy to forget, especially at night. Mark them clearly, or add a small ramp.

Many falls happen at night, when a person gets up to use the toilet while drowsy, in the dark, and perhaps after standing up too quickly. Keep a lamp or switch within reach of the bed, and night lights along the path to the bathroom.

The bed should be at a height where your parent can sit with feet flat on the floor and knees level with the hips. Very low beds and floor mattresses are hard to get up from. Encourage them to sit on the edge of the bed for a moment before standing, especially if they take blood pressure medicines.

Keep a phone, water and spectacles within reach of the bed.

Ask a family member or helper to walk through the home with you on a video call, and look at it as your parent would: the bathroom, the toilet, the path from the bed, the stairs and the kitchen. Many of these changes can be done by a local carpenter or plumber in a day.

A physiotherapist can also do this home check by video during a session, combined with a check of your parent's balance and walking, so that the changes match how your parent actually moves.