How to Prevent Falls

BY MARLO SOLLITTO (Provided by AgingCare.com)Falls are the leading cause of death, injury and hospital admissions among the elderly population. In fact, one out of every three seniors falls every year. Last year alone, more than 1.6 million seniors were treated in emergency rooms for fall-related injuries.

Several factors contribute to the fact that seniors fall so much more frequently than younger people:
Lack of physical activity. Failure to exercise regularly results in poor muscle tone, decreased bone mass, loss of balance, and reduced flexibility.
Impaired vision. This includes age-related vision diseases, as well as not wearing glasses that have been prescribed.
Medications. Sedatives, anti-depressants, and anti-psychotic drugs, plus taking multiple medications are all implicated in increasing risk of falling.
Diseases. Health conditions such as Parkinson's disease,Alzheimer's disease and arthritis cause weakness in the extremities, poor grip strength, balance disorders and cognitive impairment.
Surgeries.Hip replacements and other surgeries leave an elderly person weak, in pain and discomfort and less mobile than they were before the surgery.
Environmental hazards. One third of all falls in the elderly population involve hazards at home. Factors include: poor lighting, loose carpets and lack of safety equipment.
However, falls are not an inevitable part of growing older. Many falls can be prevented, by making the home safer and using products that help keep seniors more stable and less likely to fall.
Preventing Falls in an Elderly Person's HomeCaregivers can do several things to make the home safer for their senior mom or dad.

• Install safety bars, grab bars or handrails in the shower or bath.
• Put no-stick tape on the floor in the tub.
• Use a stool riser seat to make getting on and off the toilet easier.
• Install at least one stairway handrail that extends beyond the first and last steps.
• Make sure stairs are sturdy with strong hand railings.
• Be sure that stairwells are well-lit. Consider making the lighting in your home brighter to aid vision.
• Make sure rugs, including those on stairs, are tacked to the floor.
• Remove loose throw rugs.
• Avoid clutter. Remove any furniture that is not needed. All remaining furniture should be stable and without sharp corners, to minimize the effects of a fall.
• Change the location of furniture, so that your elderly parent can hold on to something as they move around the house.
• Do not have electrical cords trailing across the floor. Have additional base plugs installed so long cords are not necessary.
• Have your parent wear non-slip shoes or slippers, rather than walking around in stocking feet.
• Make sure all rooms have adequate lighting. Consider motion-sensitive lights that come on when a person enters a room. Use night lights in every room.
• Keep frequently used items in easy-to-reach cabinets.
• Use a grasping tool to get at out-of-reach items, rather than a chair or stepladder.
• Keep the water heater thermostat set at 120 degrees F, or lower, to avoid scalding and burns.
• Wipe up spills and remove broken glass immediately.

Monitors/sensor pads. Sensors work well for the bed, chair, or toilet. The pads electronically detect the absence of pressure, which in turn sends an electronic signal to the monitor setting off an alarm. Used on a bed, the pressure pads can be under or on top of the mattress. They are very thin, so they do not disturb sleeping and are plugged into the monitor via a telephone type line. Chair and toilet sensors work in the same way.
There are also pad/monitors that detect and sound an alarm if a person steps on the pad (detects pressure). This type of pad can be used beside the bed, in a hallway or in front of a chair while the person is seated.
Fall mats. Fall mats are used in areas where a person could be injured from a fall on a hard floor such as the side of a bed, by a toilet or in front of a chair. They are cushioned floor mats of various sizes 1-inch or 2-inches thick with beveled edges. They cushion the fall and prevent injuries.
Grab bars. Install them near the toilet, in the bathtub and shower.