Spring Cleaning Could Prevent a Fall: Why It’s Worth Giving Your Home a Proper Safety Check This Season

One in four Australians aged 65 and over has at least one fall every year, and around half of those falls happen in and around the home. With spring now well underway, aged care experts say there’s genuinely no better time for families to help older loved ones spot and fix everyday trip hazards, making home life safer, more comfortable and easier to navigate.

Just how big a problem is this in Australia?

Falls remain the leading cause of injury-related hospitalisation among older Australians, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, making up 77 per cent of all injury hospitalisations and 71 per cent of injury deaths in this age group. In 2024-25, Australians aged 65 and over were hospitalised for falls 12 times more often than adults aged 25 to 44.

The cost is significant too, with fall-related injuries estimated to have cost the health system around $5.4 billion in 2023-24 alone. And the risk climbs sharply with age, from around 7.2 hospitalisations per 1,000 people aged 65 to 74, up to more than 63 per 1,000 among those aged 85 and over. Most hospitalised falls, 60 per cent, happen on the same level, a simple slip, trip or stumble, rather than a fall from height, which is exactly why small, preventable hazards around the home matter so much.

Why spring is the perfect trigger point

Gemma Scales, Clinical Governance Manager at Just Better Care, a leading provider of in-home aged care and disability support, said spring cleaning offers a genuinely natural opportunity to check in on an older loved one’s safety and comfort at home.

“Spring cleaning is a great opportunity to check in on the safety and comfort of an older loved one at home,” Ms Scales said. She pointed to clutter, loose rugs, walkways and stairs as common everyday trip hazards worth looking out for, alongside making sure frequently used items are easy to reach.

Ms Scales encouraged families to genuinely look at the home from their older loved one’s perspective. Are the things they use every day actually within easy reach? Are there areas where they’re having to bend, stretch or climb just to get to something they need regularly? She said small changes, like moving everyday items to waist height or creating clear, uninterrupted pathways through the home, can make a genuinely meaningful difference.

Spring cleaning can also be a useful moment to notice whether certain tasks are becoming harder to manage. “If cleaning, laundry, gardening or moving around the home are becoming difficult, it may be worth looking at whether assistive technology or home modifications could make things safer and easier,” Ms Scales said. For eligible My Aged Care participants, she noted an assessment can also help identify what support may be available to help older Australians stay safe, comfortable and independent at home.

Six things families should tackle this spring

Clear walkways and trip hazards. Remove boxes, shoes, cords and other clutter from high-traffic areas, and secure any loose rugs or mats. Check for uneven or damaged flooring that could increase the risk of a trip.

Reorganise around everyday routines. Keep frequently used items grouped together and within easy reach, storing mugs, tea, coffee and the kettle together, for example, rather than requiring someone to move around the kitchen to gather everything.

Make essentials easy to reach. Move regularly used kitchenware, toiletries, medications and other items into accessible cupboards or drawers, avoiding places that require bending, stretching or climbing.

Think about the route, not just the room. Walk through your loved one’s usual daily routine, from bedroom to bathroom, kitchen and garden, looking specifically for tight spaces, awkward furniture placement, or areas requiring repeated changes of direction.

Make the bedside area self-sufficient. Keep essentials like water, glasses, a phone, tissues and reading glasses within easy reach, reducing unnecessary trips, particularly overnight.

Notice what they’ve stopped keeping up with. Pay attention to tasks your loved one may have quietly stopped doing or is struggling to manage, such as cleaning, laundry, gardening or shopping. This can be an early, meaningful sign that some regular help at home could genuinely improve everyday life.

Why Spring Clean?

A spring clean is something most families do anyway, and turning it into a genuine safety check costs nothing extra beyond a bit of extra attention. Given how common, and how preventable, many home-based falls genuinely are, it’s a simple, low-pressure way to look after an older loved one, without needing to raise it as a big, difficult conversation.

This article is general in nature and isn’t personalised medical or care advice. If you have concerns about an older loved one’s safety at home, or want to explore what support may be available, contact My Aged Care on 1800 200 422.