How Smartphones Can Help Make Homes Safer for Older People

Most older people want to remain independent at home for as long as possible. But for many, one fall can change everything. A fall can lead to injury, hospital admission, reduced confidence and greater dependence on family or professional care.

Falls are one of the most serious and common risks facing older people living at home. In Ireland, the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) found that 1 in 8 people aged 70+ required medical attention for a fall within 12 months, and 1 in 16 attended an emergency department following a fall.

The consequences are not only physical. A fall can reduce confidence, make someone less active, increase their dependence on family or carers, and put pressure on care services that are already under strain. The financial impact is also significant. The financial impact is also significant. NHS England estimates that falls cost the NHS more than £2.3 billion per year. Meanwhile, the HSE cites an Irish research project which suggests that fall-related injuries in older people could cost Ireland between €1.59 billion and €2.04 billion by 2030, unless effective prevention measures are implemented.

This is why fall prevention requires more attention, earlier action, and better tools. 

The home environment plays a significant role in staying safe

Hazards at home can increase the risk of falling without being obvious at first glance. Examples include a loose rug, a cable across a walking route, clutter near a doorway, poor lighting at night, uneven thresholds and stairs without clear handrails.

Occupational therapy assessments or other professional reviews can take time to arrange, while risks inside the home may remain present every day. This is where families and informal carers can play an important role. With the right guidance, they can begin taking simple prevention steps earlier by identifying visible hazards, improving walking routes, and removing trip risks.

La Casa Care Safety Scan supports this early action. It helps families and informal carers make home risks more visible and start practical prevention while waiting for occupational therapists or other professional support.

What is the La Casa Care Safety Scan?

The technology behind the La Casa Care Safety Scan helps families and care providers identify risks earlier, before a fall occurs. The app guides the user through room by room, using the smartphone camera, to support the identification of visible risks such as 

• loose rugs, 

• cables across walking areas, 

• clutter, 

• thresholds & stairs, 

• poor lighting and 

• missing support features like handrails or grab bars. 

  

The app then turns these observations into a clear safety summary containing practical next steps, while still enabling the user or carer to review and confirm the findings. Preventing falls is not just about avoiding injury. It is also about safeguarding confidence, mobility, and independence at home. 

The app was designed according to international falls guidance, which recommends personalised prevention tools rather than generic advice. Research also shows that home safety interventions, such as reducing trip hazards, decluttering, improving lighting, and installing support features, can help to prevent falls among older people living at home. 

For older people, this can facilitate small yet meaningful changes, such as clearing walking routes, improving lighting, and checking stair areas. For families and informal carers, it provides a clearer way to help, even with little background knowledge, and enables them to start preventing accidents while they wait for occupational therapists or other professional support. For care providers, it provides structured evidence of home safety that can support follow-up, prioritisation and more proactive care.

Falls may be common, but many home risks can be mitigated. With earlier visibility and practical guidance, homes can become safer places in which to grow old.

Falls risk is also linked to a person’s health, mobility, strength, confidence and daily functioning. While the Safety Scan reveals visible hazards in the home, the Predictive Falls Risk Assessment helps identify who may need closer attention or follow-up. Read more in our blog post: “How AI Can Help Identify Falls Risk Earlier.”

Both tools support earlier prevention: understanding the person, assessing the home and guiding practical next steps.

La Casa Care helps older people live more safely and independently at home, with the guided home-safety scans built for practical prevention.

Want to learn more about La Casa Care’s falls prevention solutions? Contact us at info@lacasa.care.