Each year, more than 20,000 people die in home accidents in this country. And the number of people who suffer disabling injuries each year reaches a truly staggering 6.6 million. Put another way, every day more than 17,000 people become victims of a serious injury that occurs at home. The real tragedy is that most of those accidents could have been prevented. Nearly one-third of residential fatalities are the result of falls.
Older people are especially vulnerable.
Not surprisingly, stairs are the most likely place for an at-home fall. But it's not necessarily the long, steep set of stairs down to the basement that claims all the victims. More dangerous are those two or three steps along the walkway or up to the patio that can go unnoticed by you or a guest in a dash from car to front door with an armload of groceries. You can do a number of simple things to make those steps safer. Start by making them more visible.