As more and more of the elderly population make the choice to stay in their homes while they age (rather than move to a managed facility), home safety has become an important issue for their health and the peace of mind of their loved ones.
Making Homes Safer by Preventing Falls
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, each year one in every three adults age 65 and older falls. Falls can lead to moderate to severe injuries, such as hip fractures and head traumas, and can even increase the risk of early death. Fortunately, falls are a public health problem that is largely preventable. There are many things that can be done in order to help reduce the likelihood of an in-home fall including regular exercise, review of medications, have vision checked at least once a year, and make their homes safer by reducing tripping hazards and adding safety features throughout.
An article titled “Home Safe Home” on Today in OT states the importance of occupational therapists in the process of safeguarding a patient’s home. Occupational therapists can be proactive in helping the elderly and their caregivers make their homes safe, according to Grace S. Fisher, OTR/L, EdD, a professor in the occupational therapy department at Misericordia University in Dallas, PA. “We usually don’t see this patient group until after they have fallen,” she says. “Our goal should be to get to them so the accident doesn’t happen.”
Proven interventions that can reduce home falls and accidents help older adults live better and longer, says Pamalyn Kearney, OTR/L, MS, assistant professor and vice chairwoman of the department of occupational therapy at University of the Sciences in Philadelphia.
Ways to Prevent Falls in the Home
Some ways we to help in safeguarding patients homes against falling hazards as shared in the article “Home Safe Home” are as follows:
- Remove things that can be tripped over, such as papers, books, clothes and shoes, from stairs and places for walking. Tack telephone and appliance cords along walls.
- For bathrooms, install grab bars, shower seats, hand-held showers and raised toilet seats.
- Install railings on stairs, including basement stairs, and consider railings on both sides of the stairs.
- Increase ambient and task lighting, while being careful to not increase glare. Add night-lights in the hallway between the bedroom and bathroom.
- Install a shelf at the main entrance door to hold items when locking and unlocking the door and install lever handles.
- Keep items used often in cabinets that can be reached easily without using a step stool. Consider a reaching device or a step stool with a handle.
- Avoid low contrasting backgrounds, such as a white bathtub surrounded by white tiled walls.
- Check for air conditioners or fans, carbon monoxide and smoke detectors.
While not all falls in the home are preventable many of them can be avoided if the proper techniques and safety precautions are taken.