Hello everyone:

I was with an elderly gentleman this week and noticed that the throw rugs he had scattered around his home were getting stuck on his walker. He pushed his way through, but I wondered what these rubber-backed rugs would do if he had not been able to dislodge them from his walker and make them lay flat.

The answer? They could land him on his backside. Talking to an older fellow at dinner last night, he shared how throw rugs could really, well, throw you if you weren’t very careful. He recommended throwing out the throw rugs of an elderly person, saying that they could be a tripping hazard.

A dear friend of mine has tile throughout her home and had used throw rugs to prevent leg pain. That worked fine, until her elderly mother came to live with them and started stumbling her way around. Her shoes got stuck on the rugs and threw her for a loop.

So, from my research here, it seems that the best thing to do with an elderly individual’s throw rug is to pitch them out. What is your experience with this? Do you know a way around this?

Best,

Dr. Sheri