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Four Easy Steps to Help Prevent Falls in the Home
January 11th, 2010, 8:24 AMJeffrey Jue, PT, Rehabilitation Consultant
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- (Photo by Danilo Rizzuti)
Are you ready to take a few easy steps to help prevent the fall of a loved one in your home? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Among older adults, falls are the leading cause of injury deaths. They are also the most common cause of nonfatal injuries and hospital admissions for trauma.
During each of my home visits, I check for any environmental hazards which may increase the risk of a fall. I have found that you don’t need to be a Mr.or Ms. Fix-It to correct some of the most common environmental hazards found in the home. Here are some easy steps I share with older adults and their caregivers:
- Remove loose rugs, mats and electrical cords from walking areas.
- Remove clutter (boxes, bags or loose items ) from walking areas.
- Make sure there is adequate lighting in all rooms and stairwells
- Place a non skid mat in either the bath or tub
Give these easy steps a try and I would love to hear your feedback.
Posted in: Health Care Tips, Home Safety, Working with the Elderly Tags: caregiver, elderly, prevention
Discussion
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Good suggestions Jeffrey.
— Sandra McTernan, MSN / January 11th, 2010 at 11:00 am
I recall many years ago in my days of working in Geriatrics that the shoes that patients wore sometimes were a major hazzard. Not only to see if they fit appropriately (given how feet change with age) but also about how they may be too heavy and cumbersome for patients with later life mobility issues to wear. Just a thought. -
Thanks for sharing your experiences Sandra. I have also found that older adults who wear shoes which are either uncomfortable or too heavy have an increased risk of tripping both indoors and outdoors. I often advise my patients to wear shoes or sneakers in the home instead of slippers.
— Jeffrey Jue / January 11th, 2010 at 8:35 pm -
[...] week I will be providing a falls prevention presentation at a senior center in Forest Hills, Queens. I’m looking forward to meeting the [...]
— A Day in the Life » Blog Archive » September Kicks Off / September 16th, 2010 at 8:43 am