According to the centers for disease control and prevention, falls are the leading cause. Tips and video from aota and the national council on aging. Use these resources and handouts to increase public awareness and educate older adults, caregivers, and professionals about the risks of falls and how to prevent falls. Falls are often due to hazards that are easy to overlook but easy to. What are the risk factors for falling anyone can fall, but some factors can make it more likely for you to fall. Anyone can fall, but the risk for falls increases as we age. As we age, the risk of falling increases even more in women than men. Fallproofing yourself reducing your personal risk factors 4 health problems 5 keeping yourself mobile 7 medicines 8 making the most of your eyesight 9 falls prevention from the ground up feet and footwear 10 managing worries about falling 11 fallproofing your surroundings. There are simple steps you can take to prevent falls and. Falls tip sheet pdf fall prevention for people with disabilities and older adults how to prevent falls in the home. A checklist for preventing falls in your home stairways 3 make sure all handrails are not broken and are securely fastened. Falls affect us allwhether personally or someone we love or care about. In 2015 alone, more than one in four older adults reported falling and more than 28,000 older adults died as a result of fallsthats 74 older adults every day. Some people become so afraid of falling or after an actual fall that they stop doing activities they used.
Osteoporosis and falls prevention share this onepage handout on the link between fallrelated injuries and osteoporosis. Making changes in our home to prevent falls is good for us and for our granddaughter when. Fact sheet talking about fall prevention with your patients. In fact, falls are a leading cause of injury among older adults. General information falls occur frequently and are a major cause of disability and death in senior citizens. This checklist will help you find and fix those hazards in your home. The following balance and strength exercises are easy to do at home.
Floors and rugs 3 make sure all floor boards are even and rugs, including area rugs, are secured to the floor with tacks, nonskid pads or doublesided tape. What you can do to prevent falls centers for disease. Even falls that do not lead to injury can affect you. Fall prevention home safety checklist minnesota safety council.
Have someone help you while youre in the dressing room or bathroom. This handout is a general guide only, intended for distribution to patients. Traditional advice and patient education often does. Injuries sustained in a fall may range from trivial bruises to lifethreatening trauma. Fall prevention patient handout northbay healthcare. Ask for a wheelchair to use while you are receiving treatment. A pdf is available at national prevention strategy. Falls are the leading cause of injury and accidental death in adults over the age of 65. Tips fall prevention for older adults falls are the leading cause of injury and accidental death in adults over the age of 65.
Fall protection handout occupational safety and health. Doing prescribed exercises attending a fall prevention program changing their medications changing their home environment we know that behavior change is di. Wear shoes with low heels and slip resistant soles inside and outside the house. Osteoarthritis and falls for people with osteoarthritis, learn how to lead an active life and prevent falls and injuries. Once you become more confident, you can hold for longer, or increase the number of repetitions.
In 2011, nearly 23,000 people over age 65 died and 2. For specific recommendations to prevent falls, complete the fall prevention checklist for every room in your house. When employees are exposed to unguarded edges of decks, platforms, flats, and similar flat surfaces, more than 5 feet above a solid surface, the edges must be guarded by adequate guardrails. Falls prevention resources national council on aging. More than one third of people over the age of 65 have at least one fall each year.
And often, once a person falls, they tend to fall again within six months. Bring someone with you who can help you get around. Surgeon general convened national prevention and health promotion. Instead, consider six simple fallprevention strategies. Materials for your older patients older adult fall prevention cdc. Each year, thousands of older americans fall at home. Falls prevention awareness day 2019 social media messages and images. Still, fear of falling doesnt need to rule your life. If you have specific questions, be sure to discuss them with your healthcare provider. Clutter and other tripping hazards, poor balance, and distractions can all. Have them wear metal tags or bells so that you can hear them. Talking about fall prevention with your patients many fall prevention strategies call for patients to change their behaviors by. Clutter and other tripping hazards, poor balance, and distractions can all cause a person to stumble and fall. Make sure you have a chair, bench top or wall nearby for support when you try them.
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