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Preventing Falls by Adapting Your Home – Kitchen Video

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Transcript of Preventing Falls by Adapting Your Home – Kitchen Video

NARRATOR 1: Photos and graphics of kitchens with various adaptations.

NARRATOR 2: Safety in the kitchen is very important, and there are a number of precautions that you can take to prevent falls or injuries.

NARRATOR 1: Photo of a wooden cupboard.

NARRATOR 2: Close all cupboards and drawers to keep from running into them unexpectedly. Paint or mark the edges of cabinets and drawers with contrasting colors so they are visible if left open. Use pulls on drawers and cabinets that contrast with the cabinetry. Attach lighting to the underside of cupboards to make items on the counters more visible.

NARRATOR 1: A woman opens a cabinet.

NARRATOR 2: Keep commonly used items within reach. Don’t store the things you need in high places that would require a difficult reach or a step stool, or in a lower cabinet that requires bending over. Immediately clean up any spills to prevent slipping. You should pour liquids over the sink, or place a contrasting colored tray under containers of liquid to catch spills.

In this graphic, we see a representation of a kitchen before it has been adapted. For a person with vision loss, this can be a hazardous place to be. Everything in this kitchen is a similar color, making it difficult for a person with vision loss to find things or identify potential dangers. The cabinet doors and handles, the soap dish, the dishes, the floor mat, and the light switch can easily blur together and become impossible to identify or locate. A mop in the center of the room is a potential tripping hazard. Because needed items are on a high shelf, they will require a stool or chair to access. And open cabinets and drawers can cause injury and falls.

NARRATOR 1: The image changes from a kitchen with all light-colored surfaces to an image of a kitchen with a white soap dish resting on a red countertop, undercabint lighting illuminating the counter where several books are placed, white cabinet doors lined with a dark tape, a dark switch plate on a white wall, and a dark blue floor mat on a white floor.

NARRATOR 2: In this graphic of the same kitchen, there have been several adaptations that make it a safer place to prepare meals. The use of contrasting colors makes it easier to see cabinet doors, light switches, and corners. The mop has been placed out of the way where it can be located easily. All objects are visible and within easy reach. The lighting is better, and the access to lighting is much more clearly defined.

Being able to work safely in your kitchen is important to your independence. And just by making these simple changes, you can protect yourself from a fall or injury, and you will find it easier to enjoy cooking and preparing meals.

NARRATOR 1: Four images are shown. Light-colored kitchen cabinets with dark handles; a woman storing containers in a kitchen cabinet; a person pouring water into a mug over a sink; and a large kitchen with lots of available counter space.