The 6th annual National Falls Prevention Awareness Day will be observed on Sept. 22, to promote and increase public awareness about how to prevent and reduce falls among older adults.
The occupational therapy department at Mille Lacs Health System has safety ideas for senior citizens who want to continue living in their own homes. Gwen Marshall, OTR/L, said that falls are the most significant kind of accident that can change the life of a senior who is trying to live independently. “And there are many things you can do to prevent a fall from happening,” she said.
Marshall makes home visits and sees safety issues every day, both big and small. She and Joan Bieganek, COTA, have some tips for fall prevention in the home:
• Throw rugs. Do you really need them? They’re a recipe for disaster in the senior citizen’s home.
• Lights. Turn them on! As you age it’s harder to see, and you can trip over things you don’t see, however small they seem.
• Where do steps start? Ask someone to help you put a colored strip on the edge of each step so that you can identify them clearly. The same with the edge where carpet ends and hard floors begin.
• Use your walker or cane. Don’t “furniture-walk” your way around your house or bedroom.
• De-clutter. Your collected clutter can quickly become dangerous.
• Most falls occur in the bathroom, according to Bieganek. Get rid of rugs and use bath mats or non-skid bath decals.
• Other tips include sitting to prepare food; the use of raised toilet seats, and tub chairs or shower benches; and “grab bars, grab bars, grab bars,” Marshall said. (Just make sure the bars are attached to a wall stud.)
“People don’t realize how dangerous their environment really is until they fall,” Bieganek said. “In one second, your life – and your level of independence − can change.”
Marshall added that people should talk to their physician for an occupational therapy order to discuss home safety with an occupational therapist. “Many older people end up not being able to live in their own homes and it’s not necessarily because of illness,” she said. “It’s because they’re not able to live at home safely.”
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