Preventing falls
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children. Two of the listed websites also offer the page in translation into
various languages. The opening paragraphs only are shown. The entire text of
each is at the indicated website.
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Age Page (National Institute of Health)
http://www.nia.nih.gov/health/agepages/falls.htm
Preventing Falls and Fractures
A simple fall can mean a major change in someone’s life. When an older person
falls, she or he might be so hurt that they are no longer able to lead an
active, independent life. Each year thousands of older men and women are
disabled, sometimes permanently, by falls that result in broken bones. Yet,
small changes in homes and lifestyles might prevent such falls.
With age may come changes in vision, hearing, muscle strength, coordination,
and reflexes. These changes may make people more likely to fall. Older people
also are more likely to have disorders that may affect their balance such as
diabetes and conditions of the heart, blood vessels, nervous system, and
thyroid. Sometimes these are treatable. In addition, older persons often take
medications that may cause dizziness or light-headedness.
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Preventing Falls [all ages]
http://www.umm.edu/non_trauma/falls
The importance of fall safety:
More than 2 million emergency rooms visit each year are related to childhood
falls, while more than 400,000 adults ages 65 and over sustained injuries in a
fall in 1997. Most falls are not age-related and can often be prevented,
however, age does tend to play a role in the type of fall. For instance,
infants are more likely to fall from furniture, while older adults tend to fall
more often due to tripping. Consider the following facts:
* Falls are also the most common cause of injury visits to the emergency
department for young children and older adults.
* Falls are responsible for more open wounds, fractures, and brain
injuries than any other cause of injury.
* In the United States, one out of every three adults over age 65 falls
each year, and falls are the leading cause of injury deaths among persons in
this age group. Because most persons also lose bone density as they age, the
risk of suffering broken bones from fall-induced injuries becomes an even
greater concern.
[Website provides links to translations of page in German, Spanish, French,
Italian and Portuguese.]
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Help the Aged [a UK website] at
Printer Friendly
http://www.helptheaged.org.uk/AdviceInfo/Slips+trips.htm
Avoiding slips and trips this Autumn
Now that Autumn is upon us, falling leaves and rainy days make pavements and
steps outside more treacherous. But as the colder weather sets in and the days
get shorter, it's also a good time to take a fresh look inside your home for
any hazards which may put you at risk of a fall.
Things to look out for in your home:
S Stairs and steps are the most common place for a fall in the home -
take extra care, use the handrail
L Lighting is vital around the more risky areas of your home such as
stairways
I Investigate your home for trailing wires and other obstacles
P Put in long life bulbs so they don't have to be changed so often
S Secure loose rugs and carpets and repair or remove any frayed edges
A Activity keeps muscles warm. Cold muscles work less well and may lead
to accidents
N Never struggle to the toilet in the dark. For visits in the
night, put on a light
D Dizziness can be avoided by getting up slowly. If you get up too
quickly, your blood pressure can drop making you light headed and prone to
falling
T Tables and chairs and other furniture can be rearranged to allow to
move around your home more easily
R Remove clutter from walkways, stairs and steps
I Inform your doctor if you have a fall
P Pets in brightly coloured collars will help you to see them before they
get under your feet
S Safety rails by the toilet, bath and on the stairs can help you keep
your balance
---snip---
We [the website] have PDFs in variety of languages for you to download below:
How to avoid accidental falls in the home:
English (also available on casette)
Punjabi
Urdu
Guijarati
Chinese
How to use the stairs safely:
English
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Avoiding slips and trips this Autumn
Now that Autumn is upon us, falling leaves and rainy days make pavements and
steps outside more treacherous. But as the colder weather sets in and the days
get shorter, it's also a good time to take a fresh look inside your home for
any hazards which may put you at risk of a fall.
Things to look out for in your home:
S Stairs and steps are the most common place for a fall in the home -
take extra care, use the handrail
L Lighting is vital around the more risky areas of your home such as
stairways
I Investigate your home for trailing wires and other obstacles
P Put in long life bulbs so they don't have to be changed so often
S Secure loose rugs and carpets and repair or remove any frayed edges
A Activity keeps muscles warm. Cold muscles work less well and may lead
to accidents
N Never struggle to the toilet in the dark. For visits in the
night, put on a light
D Dizziness can be avoided by getting up slowly. If you get up too
quickly, your blood pressure can drop making you light headed and prone to
falling
T Tables and chairs and other furniture can be rearranged to allow to
move around your home more easily
R Remove clutter from walkways, stairs and steps
I Inform your doctor if you have a fall
P Pets in brightly coloured collars will help you to see them before they
get under your feet
S Safety rails by the toilet, bath and on the stairs can help you keep
your balance
Other ways to reduce your risk of having a fall:
Keep active - Exercise can improve strength, balance and coordination, all of
which may prevent a fall.
Enjoy the sun - Vitamin D helps to keep your bones healthy and strong. It is
found in some foods but is mostly formed by the action of sunlight on the skin.
Look after your feet - Over 80% of older people have one or more foot
problems. Foot pain and other foot problems contribute to an increased risk of
falls. Talk to your chiropodist about keeping feet healthy and wear high
sided, thin soled footwear with good grips to stay safe on your feet.
Manage your medicines - Some medicines can make you dizzy and increase your
risk of a fall. If this is the case or you take more than four different
medicines, ask your GP or pharmacist to review them.
Think about osteoporosis - The chance of developing osteoporosis increases as
we age. Keep bones healthy by eating a diet rich in calcium and vitamin D and
take regular weight-bearing exercise. Discuss osteoporosis next time you visit
the doctor or nurse.
See clearly - Eye tests are free if you are over 60. Get your eyes checked
regularly. Bifocals and varifocals have been shown to more than double the risk
of a fall. This is particularly true when walking outside or in unfamiliar
settings. If you need glasses for reading and for distance, it's best to have
two separate pairs.
...and also
Watch out for discarded toys left by visiting grandchildren
Keep petfood dishes in places where they can't be tripped over
Try to store everyday objects at an easy height to avoid reaching and bending
What to do if you fall
* Get help and try not to panic; try to attract attention by banging on
the floor or wall. Use your personal alarm or call 999 if you can reach a
phone.
* Try to get up; a lot of problems people have following a fall are from
lying on the ground for too long and getting cold. If you can't get up, use a
peice of sturdy furniture to try and pull yourself up.
* Keep warm; if you're unable to get up tense your arm and leg muscles
and cover yourself with a coat or whatever you can find.
Further Information
We have PDFs in variety of languages for you to download below:
How to avoid accidental falls in the home:
English (also available on casette)
Punjabi
Urdu
Guijarati
Chinese
How to use the stairs safely:
English