According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), falls are the leading cause of injury deaths for older Americans. In 2005, almost 16,000 died from a fall and 1.8 millions required emergency care. Of those who survive a fall accident, many suffer injuries that can potentially lead to disability.
Sixty Percent of Elderly Fall at Home
Although falls are a widespread and serious problem, there are many steps one can take to reduce their occurrence. An important one is making the home safe. This may sound obvious, but research shows it isn’t. Not only do home accidents account for a huge 60 percent of all falls, many houses also don’t have the basics to prevent an elderly person from falling. A study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine by the University of North Carolina found that 34 percent of a sample of 1,003 American households had no handrails on stairs.
Making Your Home Falls Proof
So, what practical solutions can help you improve the safety of your house, or that of your elderly loved one if they still live on their own? Start by doing the following:
- Keep the floor free from clutter and make sure it’s not wet or slippery.
- Eliminate scattered rugs and loose electrical and telephone cords, and check carpets for loose edges.
- Place non-slip mats in the kitchen and in the bathroom–don’t forget rubber bath or shower mats.
- Remember, good illumination is crucial to effectively reduce falls. All rooms should be well lit. The stairs should have a light switch at the top and the bottom and, in the elder’s bedroom, there should be a switch near the door and one near the bed. Nightlights are a good idea, too.
- Have grab bars and rails installed in the house, particularly in the bathroom–by the toilet, shower and bathtub–and the stairs. These should have non-skid steps with a brightly-colored tape at the edge to make them more visible.
- Place everything your elderly loved one needs within easy reach. If they cannot avoid using a step stool, provide them with a sturdy one with a safety rail.
- All chairs and other furniture should be stable and robust, and never in the elder’s usual walking path, especially the one leading to the bathroom.
- The height of your elder’s bed should be such that, when they sit on it, their feet are flat on the floor.
Make Falls Prevention a Team Effort
It is very important that you include all family members in this endeavor. An elderly person is less likely to fall if everyone involved in their care knows what keeps them safe. It’s nothing complicated, just simple things, like making sure everyone in the household does the following:
- keeps their room tidy;
- avoids running, or stepping suddenly, in front of the elderly; and
- warns the loved one if there is a pet in the same room. Small animals can easily cause older people to trip, especially if their fur is the same color as the floor.
Tell Your Elder How to Prevent Falls
Studies show that the more older people know about the dangers associated with falls and what they can do themselves to avoid them, the less likely they are to have one. So, it is worth taking some time to share with them any information that may help reduce their risk of falling. This mostly involves avoiding at-risk behaviors such as:
- carrying things up and down the stairs;
- getting up from bed at night with the lights off;
- not holding onto grab bars when climbing stairs;
- running to the telephone or door;
- taking their shower or bath standing up; and
- climbing on a chair for reaching high places.
More Falls Prevention Tips
Lastly, you may find the following recommendations useful:
- Ensure good foot hygiene and regularly check your elder's feet for problems that may impair walking ability, like bunions, calluses, injuries and signs of poor blood circulation, such as persistently cold feet. This is of particular importance if your elderly loved one has diabetes.
- Discourage them from wearing clothes that drag on the floor.
- Have them wear shoes with non-skid soles and low heels. If the shoes have laces, make sure these are tied.
- Consider that wearing slippers increases the risk of falling. The same goes for walking with socks, including non-slip socks, according to a study published in BMC Geriatrics by researchers of Monash University, Australia.
Falls in the Elderly are Preventable
As a leading cause of injuries, disability and mortality, falls are one of the biggest challenges facing caregivers of the elderly. An hazard-free home, appropriate shoes and clothing, and avoiding dangerous behaviors, such as moving around the house with the lights off, climbing on chairs, running up or down the stairs, can greatly reduce your loved one’s risk of having a fall accident.
Related articles
Consequences of Falls in the Elderly
Falls Prevention in Old People - Research Update
References:
Chari S., Haines T., Varghese P., Economidis A. “Are non-slip socks really ‘non slip’? An analysis of slip resistance,” BMC Geriatrics, August 25, 2009, 9:30. doi:10.1186/1471-2318-9-39.
Gillespie L.D., Robertson M.C., Gillespie W.J., Lamb S.E., Gates S., Cumming R.G., Rowe B.H. “Interventions for preventing falls in older people living in the community (Review),” Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, April 15, 2009, CD007146.
Marshalll S.W., Runyan C.W., Yang J., Coyne-Beasley T., Waller A.E., Johnson R.M., Perkis D. “Prevalence of selected risk and protective risk factors for falls in the home,” American Journal of Preventive Medicine, January 2005, 28(1):95-101.
Stevens J.A., Corso P.S., Finkelstein E.A., Miller T.R. “The cost of fatal and non-fatal falls among older adults,” Injury Prevention, October 2006, 12(5):290-5.
Sorock G.S. “Falls among the elderly: Epidemiology and prevention,” American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 1988, 4(5):282-8.
Lorena Tonarelli - Internationally published healthcare journalist, medical writer, author and editor.
