“The bathroom, the stairs, that rug. I know I should fix a few things.”
This book takes each room in turn and shows you what matters most, and what you can leave alone.
Book 2 · The Stay Safe Series · Available now
Stay Safe at Home
A Safer Home for a Lifetime of Independence
A practical, room-by-room walk through your whole home: the bedroom, the bathroom, the stairs, the kitchen, the garden. For each one, clear and referenced guidance on what quietly puts you at risk, and simple, often low-cost fixes you can start today. Thirty chapters and 21 checklists, written to help you stay safe in the home you love.
From $9.99 · eBook, audiobook, paperback, or all three
- Every fact checked against a named source
- Fact References chapter included
- Companion checklist with every format
Is this book for you?
It probably is if one of these sounds familiar.
“I want to stay in my own home, and I want to be sensible about it.”
Most of the fixes here cost little and take an afternoon. None of them requires a renovation.
“Mum’s had a near miss and I don’t know where to begin.”
Begin with the room that worries you both, use the checklist at the end of that chapter, then come back for the next.
Why I wrote this
For Phil, and for every family who’s had that phone call
This book keeps circling back to one quiet truth. Most of what threatens an independent life at home isn’t one dramatic event. It’s a fall on the stairs, a stovetop fire, a bath run too hot, a medication mix-up, a heater left too close to the curtains. Each one is ordinary, and each one is easier to avoid once you know what to look for.
My friend Phil found that out the hard way after a fall. He was ten feet from his phone and couldn’t reach it. I wrote this book so that you, and the people who love you, can deal with the whole range of things that can go wrong at home, not just the one that happened to him.
— Ed
Why the home matters
A few numbers, then straight to what you can do about them.
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More than 1 in 4
adults 65 and older falls each year, about 36 million falls a year in the US.
CDC -
About 3.5 times
more likely: the fire-death risk for adults 65 and older compared with the general population.
National Council on Aging, citing CPSC -
$80 billion
a year in US medical costs for non-fatal falls among older adults, based on 2020 data.
National Council on Aging
Every figure above is listed in full in the book’s Fact References chapter. The rest of this book is about the fixes.
What’s inside
Every room, one at a time
Each chapter stands on its own and ends with a full checklist for that room, so you never have to flip back and forth. Worried about the bathroom? Jump straight to that chapter. It’s there when you’re ready.
- 02 Lighting and Floors
- 03 Bedroom Safety
- 04 Bathroom and Toilet Safety
- 05 Kitchen Safety
- 06 Living Room and Lounge
- 07 Stairs and Hallways
- 08 Front Door and Entry Hall
- 09 Laundry and Utility Room
- 10 Garage and Vehicle Safety
- 11 Garden Shed and Outdoor Tools
- 12 Garden, Paths, and Outdoor Areas
- 13 Pets and Intruder Wildlife
- 14 Electricity and Utility Services
- 15 Medical Equipment and Life Support
- 16 Medication and Health Management
- 17 Fire Emergency and Response
- 18 First Aid and Medical Emergencies
- 19 Evacuation Kits and Power Outages
- 20 Special Needs and Accessibility
- 21 Home Maintenance and Safety
- 22 Personal Health Tips to Avoid Falls
- 23 Your Emergency Contacts
Plus a Foreword, Introduction, About the Author, Home Accident Facts, Fact References, a US phone number directory, an international emergency contacts reference, and a Quick-Find Index by topic. Thirty chapters in total.
Where this book names a product or app, it’s an example of a feature, not a recommendation. We don’t sell devices or take payment to feature them.
How the book guides you
Four kinds of pointers run through every chapter.
Quick Win
Something you can do today, often in minutes, often for next to nothing.
Safety Tip
The things that matter most: the ones I’d want my own family to know.
Talk About It
Gentle ways to raise a subject with a parent or partner, without anyone feeling managed.
Checklist
A full room-by-room checklist at the end of every practical chapter, so you can log issues and tick them off.
What you’ll walk away with
You’ll have
- A practical audit of your own home, done room by room, at your own pace
- Simple fixes that cost little and take little effort, not a renovation project
- A checklist for every room, ticked off as you go
Why it matters
- Fewer of the everyday hazards that lead to falls, burns, and fires
- A better chance of staying in the home you love, on your own terms
- Real reassurance for family who worry from a distance
Free with this book: 12 printable companions
Interactive checklists, guides and planners to fill in on screen, save and print. Each comes in a standard and a dyslexia-friendly edition, with every format of the book. The link to your download page arrives with your purchase.
- Family Emergency Contact Tree. Every emergency contact in one place, ready to print and share with the family.
- Stay Safe at Home Book Checklists. The book’s 21 checklists, to fill in on screen, save and print.
- Whole-Home Safety Walk-Through. Room by room, a checklist to find and fix common hazards.
- Home Modification Priority Planner. Decide which changes to make first, and keep track of them.
- Trusted Tradesperson Log. A record of the tradespeople you use, their quotes and their work.
- Fall Prevention Checklist. Simple changes that lower the risk of a fall.
- Fall-Risk Self-Check. A quick check of the most common fall risks, at home and in your daily routine.
- ICE Wallet Card. An “in case of emergency” card to fill in, print and carry.
- First Aid Guide. Plain-English first steps for common emergencies at home.
- Emergency Kit Checklist. What to gather before an emergency, and what to do when one comes.
- Global Emergency Numbers. The number to call in an emergency, country by country, for when you travel.
- Medications Planner & Tracker (spreadsheet). A weekly spreadsheet to plan your medicines and tick off each dose, for Excel or another spreadsheet app.
Choose your format
Same book, same companion checklist, whichever way you like to read.
-
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What readers are saying
My Dad’s girlfriend, in her 80s, had a fall at home and didn’t tell anyone. She needed surgery on her hand the next day. My Dad has fallen so many times too — he’s stubborn and fiercely independent, but if he fell without his phone nearby, I’m not sure what would happen.
A neighbour who suffered from Parkinson’s had a fall in her bathroom. In the middle of winter, she lay on the floor after a shower for two days before I heard her faint cry and called for help. Her family ended up having to move her into aged care — the mobility she had left was gone.
Quotes are readers’ own words, shared with their permission. Experiences vary.
Every fact, checked and sourced
Every statistic and every “this works” statement in this book is checked against a credible, named source: government health and safety agencies, peer-reviewed research, and recognized aging organizations. The book ends with a Fact References chapter that lists the full citation for every figure. You don’t have to take our word for it. You can look it up. If we get something wrong, we fix it and say so.
Selected citations from this book
- AARP (2024). 2024 Home and Community Preferences Survey. 75% of adults 50 and older want to remain in their current homes as they age. aarp.org/pri/topics/livable-communities
- National Council on Aging. Get the Facts on Falls Prevention. Non-fatal falls among older adults cost about $80 billion a year in US health care costs (2020 data). ncoa.org/article/get-the-facts-on-falls-prevention
- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Facts About Falls. cdc.gov/falls/data-research/facts-stats
The book’s Fact References chapter lists every source in full.
Questions people ask
Do I have to work through the whole house?
No. Start with the room that’s been on your mind. Each chapter stands alone and ends with its own checklist.
Will the fixes cost a lot?
Most are small: better lighting, a non-slip mat, a rail, moving a rug. Where something costs more, the book says so and explains why it’s worth considering.
Is this only about falls?
No. Falls get a lot of attention, but the book also covers kitchen and heating fires, scalds, medication mix-ups, electrical safety, power outages, and what to keep by the door for an emergency.
I’m renting. Can I use this?
Yes. Many fixes need no permanent changes. Where a change would need your landlord’s agreement, the book says so.
Is the book for the US?
The statistics and phone directory are US-based, and there’s an international emergency contacts reference for readers elsewhere or for family overseas.
Can I make the text bigger?
Yes. The eBook lets you set any text size you like, and the audiobook needs no reading at all.
What if I buy it and it’s not right for me?
Our Refund Policy sets out how we handle that. Read the Refund Policy, or contact us and we’ll help.
This book shares general safety information. It isn’t medical, legal, or financial advice. For advice about your own situation, talk with a qualified professional.
Helping a parent make their home safer?
Bringing up the bathroom rail or the loose rug can feel like criticism, even when it comes from love. This book has a “Talk About It” note in every chapter for exactly that reason. A good first step is our free one-page Fall-Risk Checklist. Walk through the house together, tick what’s fine, note what isn’t, and let the list do the talking.
Next in the series
Book 2 lowers the chance of trouble at home. Book 1 makes sure help can reach you if it happens anyway. Together they cover most of what worries people who live alone.
-
Stay Safe in Any Emergency
Medical alerts, fall detection, and phone SOS settings, explained plainly.
Start with Book 1 -
Stay Safe From Scams
Spot the cons that arrive by phone, mail, text, and at the front door.
Notify me when Book 3 is ready