Slippery surfaces are one of the most modifiable fall risk factors. The right non-slip solutions, properly applied, can dramatically reduce slip-related fall risk throughout the home.
Understanding Slip Risk
Slips occur when the friction between a shoe or foot and the floor surface is insufficient to support safe movement. The friction coefficient drops dramatically on wet surfaces, polished floors, and in socks on smooth flooring. For fall-risk individuals with already-compromised balance, any reduction in friction reduces the margin between stability and a fall.
Your goal is to keep your client as far to the right of this hierarchy as possible at all times.
Non-Slip Solutions by Location
Shower and tub
A suction-cup non-slip mat inside the tub or shower floor. Check suction cup adhesion before each use — mats that have lost suction are hazards. Look for mats with raised texture rather than flat surfaces. Replace when texture is worn smooth.
Bathroom floor
A rubber-backed bath mat outside the tub/shower catches water and provides traction during exit. Must be rubber-backed — a mat that slides on wet tile is worse than no mat. Replace when rubber backing becomes cracked or deteriorated.
Area rugs and runners
Any rug remaining in the home must have non-slip backing AND be secured with double-sided rug tape. Check that tape adhesion is maintained regularly. In high-risk clients, removal is safer than any securing measure.
Stairs
Non-slip stair treads or adhesive non-slip strips on the front edge of each step. Must cover the full width of the step and be firmly adhered — peeling edges are trip hazards. Check adhesion regularly.
What You Can Fix vs. What to Report
- Fix immediately: A tub mat that has lost suction (reapply or replace). A bath mat that has shifted out of position. A rug with slightly lifted edge (apply tape if available).
- Report to nurse: Missing grab bars. No non-slip mat in tub at all. Stair treads absent or severely deteriorated. Rug that keeps shifting despite tape (may need removal).
- Report to family: Worn rubber backing on bath mats. Smooth tub mat that needs replacement. Stair strips that are peeling.
Wet Floor Management
- Spills on kitchen or bathroom tile: dry immediately — do not wait
- Water tracked in from outside: place a dry towel or mat at the entry immediately
- After bathing: dry the tub/shower surround and bathroom floor before the client exits to that area
- Rain or snow tracked in: dry entry surfaces and change client's footwear to dry, non-slip alternatives
Non-Slip Solutions That Don't Work
- Socks with grip dots: Better than plain socks but not equivalent to proper footwear. Report if this is the client's only footwear for ambulation.
- Wax on floors: Some families apply floor wax "to protect the floors." Floor wax dramatically increases slip risk. Report and request removal.
- Small accent rugs as "safety" rugs: No small rug is safe without proper backing AND tape. Many families believe rugs with any rubber backing are automatically safe — they are not if they can still move.