DID YOU KNOW?
As highlighted in last week’s Safety Tidbits, falls are the number one cause of injury-related death, hospitalization, and emergency department visits among Canadian older adults. Preventing falls is crucial for older adults, but staying safe is everyone’s responsibility. You can start by:
- Getting enough sleep.
- Using non-slip mats or rugs.
- Ensuring items are within reach.
- Ensuring to wear well-fitting, sturdy footwear.
- Getting your eyesight and hearing checked regularly.
- Maintaining proper use of eyeglasses and hearing aids.
- Consider using a cane or other mobile device if needed.
- Taking your time: Don’t rush when walking or getting up.
- Balancing your body through good nutrition and hydration.
- Exercising: Challenging your balance and building strength.
- Installing handrails along stairs and safety grab bars in the bathroom.
- Ensuring you have proper lighting in hallways, stairs, walkways, bedrooms and bathrooms.
- Inspect-to-Correct: Inspect your home for slipping and tripping hazards; keep interior stairs free of clutter and exterior stairs and walkways free of clutter, ice or snow.
- Manage your medications and review them regularly with your pharmacist or doctor as some may make you prone to dizziness and falling.
ADDITIONAL BEST PRACTICES
Here are some additional best practices to share:
- Fix loose or uneven steps, as well as handrails.
- Consider motion-sensor lights near outside entrances.
- Place a lamp close to the bed where it’s easy to reach.
- Use nightlight(s) so you can see clearly where you’re walking.
- Keep flashlights handy near your bed, in the kitchen, and main living area etc.
- Use step stools that are sturdy and have a handrail, as well as rated for your weight.
- Put a non-slip rubber mat or non-slip self-stick strips on the floor of the tub or shower.
- Regarding the advocacy of wearing well-fitting, sturdy footwear … having ones that are closed heeled, non-slip and low-heeled are better.
- Consider winter traction aids during the winter season such as ice and snow grips for shoes and boots; remember to remove them once inside your home or a building, as they are extremely slippery when they come into contact with flooring.
TRAILER HITCHES POSE SEVERE HAZARDS
- Remember to REMOVE your TRAILER HITCH when you aren’t towing.
- While it may seem convenient to leave them on, they are difficult to see and pose a major risk to yourself and others.
- Tragically, falling onto a trailer hitch has proven deadly in some cases.
GETTING IN & OUT OF A VEHICLE SAFELY
Stay safe! Experts recommend keeping both feet flat on the ground whenever you enter or exit a vehicle. You can find helpful videos and tips by searching ‘Getting In and Out of a Vehicle Safely’ on the web.
DISTRACTED WALKING IS DANGEROUS!
The widespread habit of looking at a mobile device while walking drastically increases the chances of trips and painful falls. Prioritize your safety and stay aware of your surroundings.
In next week’s edition of Safety Tidbits, I will share some tips for effective fall prevention for children from Parachute, which is Canada’s national charity dedicated to injury prevention.
Remember, taking the time to learn and practice injury prevention costs you nothing. Failing to do so, could lead to the unthinkable … the loss of your life and the lives of those you hold dear.
Safety—it starts with you.
