Falls in the Home

This issue continues our theme of help for care-givers
begun in our last issue.

One of the biggest fears for senior citizens and adults providing care for senior-aged relatives or loved ones is the risk of the individual being injured in a fall. 

The majority of harmful falls seniors suffer are in the residence, and homes are where care-givers should be most concerned. Falls are the number one cause of injury death for males 80+ years old and the number one cause of injury death for females 75+ years old.  Falls are also the leading cause of injury and hospital admissions for all older adults.

The most serious injury resulting from such falls is hip fracture, and more than 24% of all people suffering a hip fracture die within a year of the fall and another 50% never return to their prior level of mobility or independence.

A quick, but complete, inspection for fall hazards is an important step towards safety. Adults who live a distance from a senior can hire a qualified senior care agency to conduct a home safety inspection. To reduce the risk of falls, start by inspecting each room in the home. In all areas:

-Look for loose carpeting and rugs.
-Check to make sure cords and wires are taped against walls and out of traffic areas.
-Inspect any handrails near stairs or other inclines to ensure they are the proper height for the senior and fastened securely.
-Look for proper lighting and burned out light bulbs. Lighting is something that is easy to overlook. Seniors may have difficulty replacing a burned out bulb in the ceiling, so over time a multi-bulb fixture puts out less and less light. 

And, aging people may experience diminishing eyesight, making it harder to see in dim lighting. It may be worth your investment to replace bulbs with LED bulbs. They are expensive, but they last for years, and they produce a lot of light for a fraction of the electricity used compared to traditional incandescent bulbs.

These points seem like common sense ideas, but if someone doesn't visit often, these things may be overlooked. 

We will continue this theme of home safety concerns for seniors and care-givers in our next issue.

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