Fall Prevention Awareness Day

How many years did we hear, “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up?” as the beginning/end/entirety of a joke? Almost as many as “Where’s the beef?” (was that the same woman?).

The commercial is funny, but the subject matter…not so much. Falls are by far the leading cause of unintentional home injury death (6,000 per year!), and older adults tend to have greater injuries when they fall, like a broken hip or arm. Today is Fall Prevention Awareness Day and we’ve got a few prevention tips that are useful for everyone in the family, but especially seniors.

Walk around and look at your home with “fall prevention” in mind:

• Stairs should have handrails on both sides
• Small rugs on non-carpeted surfaces slip easily. Make sure they’re secured with gripper pads or rubber.
• Keep hallways and bathrooms well-lit with night lights
• The bathroom needs special attention: install grab bars by bathtub, shower, and toilet. Put non-slip strips on the shower floor and make sure the bath mat is non-skid.
• Keep tile, wood, or other hard floors dry.
• Keep high-traffic walking areas free of toys, clothes, and other small items that could cause someone to trip.

These tips can help prevent some of the 5.1 million injuries that occur annually in the US, according to the Home Safety Council. So be safe and well!