At the same time, there are ways to minimize the chances of a dangerous fall, starting with regular exercise to maintain leg strength, balance, endurance and coordination that can help you “catch yourself” and avoid a fall if you should trip. Tai Chi is an excellent, low-impact way to improve balance. Also, practice standing on one foot when you brush your teeth, wash dishes or prep a recipe. You might also get Carol Clements’s new book, “Better Balance for Life,” that details a 10-week plan for improving stability.

Get your eyes checked at least once a year or more often if you have a gradually worsening condition like cataracts or macular degeneration. Don’t delay recommended cataract surgery; blurry vision can foster serious stumbles. Regularly update your prescription for corrective lenses. Older people often do better with single-focus lenses, which may mean two different pairs, one for distance and another for reading, rather than one pair of progressive or bifocal lenses.

Also get regular hearing checkups and consider hearing aids if needed. You don’t want to be startled into a fall by someone or something approaching from behind.

Have your doctor review all your medications, both prescription and over-the-counter, for their ability to cause dizziness or drowsiness. Wherever possible, eliminate or lower the dose of those that are potentially troublesome.

Dr. Leslie Kernisan, a geriatrician in the San Francisco Bay Area, lists these medications that may be especially likely to create a fall risk: psychoactive drugs like benzodiazepines (e.g. Xanax and Valium) and sleep medications like Ambien and Lunesta that affect the brain; antidepressants like Prozac, Zoloft and Elavil; medications that lower blood pressure, including Flomax and related drugs used to improve urination; medications that lower blood sugar, including metformin; and anticholinergic drugs like Benadryl, “PM” versions of over-the-counter pain relievers, the muscle relaxant Flexeril and the bladder relaxants Ditropan and Detrol.

Last, but by no means least, do a thorough evaluation of the fall risks in and outside your home environment. Get rid of clutter — no books, papers, clothing or pet toys left on the floor or furniture that partially obstructs paths to the bathroom, bedroom, kitchen or front door. Install railings on stairways — and always use them — and grab bars around the shower or tub and toilet.

Evaluate the safety of floors and floor coverings, including throw rugs (a big no-no), loose carpets and raised ledges between rooms. Use a top quality nonskid mat in the shower. Repair all broken or uneven stairs and flooring. Keep electric and phone cords off the floor. Wipe up all spills immediately.