Home Safety Assessment - Back/Side Door
Posted by MARY LYNCH

From the Department of Rehabilitation Science - University at Buffalo, State University of New York. Portions of the full document are used here as a helpful tool to find issues in your home.
Entrance to the Back/Side Door
The list identifies all the potential home hazards that may cause a fall.
- Lack of railings or unstable railing
- Unsafe steps (too step/cracked)
- Unmarked or raised threshold
- Lack of lighting at night
- Lack of a ramp for a wheelchair
- Uneven/cracked pavement
- Ice or snow on driveway/walkway
- Lack of an outdoor grab bar
Solutions to Problems in the Entrance to the Back/Side Door
1. Lack of railings or unstable railing
- Add at least one railing, ideally one on each wall.
- Have unstable railing stabilized.
- Have damaged or broken steps repaired.
- Mark end of steps or thresholds with contrasting tape or paint color to increase awareness of changes in height.
- Add an outdoor light fixture if not present.
- Add a sensor light that automatically turns on and off.
- Have a remodeler or home contractor construct a ramp that will allow wheelchair access in and out of the home.
- Have uneven or cracked pavement repaired.
- Avoid these areas if possible when walking to and from the home.
- Contact local government for repair if it is a sidewalk or driveway end.
- Use snow melter.
- Have snow/ice removed by a neighbor or service.
- Add an outdoor grab bar next to the door.
Get an in-home safety assessment
Contact us for more information and an estimate to have Aging Graceful at Home perform an in-home safety assessment for you.