Fall Prevention Tips

Do you know that falls are the leading cause of injury in adults over the age of 65? At Aviv Centers for Living, at the JRC, we treat many seniors whose injuries may have been prevented with thoughtful planning.  When patients are in our short-term rehab center, we take extra care to make sure we educate them on safety tips so they can return home safe and confident. Following are some helpful tips to share with seniors to prevent falls at home:

⁃ Wear non-skid shoes.
⁃ Avoid walking around the house in socks or bare feet.
⁃ Remove scatter rugs that do not have a non-skid backing.
⁃ Leave eye glasses and a telephone on a night stand at bed time.
⁃ Get your vision checked once a year.
⁃ Make sure your home is well lit, inside and out.
⁃ Continue to stay physically active, even in the winter months.
⁃ Install door locks that can be opened from both sides.
⁃ Install grab bars in the bathroom near the toilet and inside the shower.
⁃ Place a rubber mat inside the shower.
⁃ Leave a light on in your bathroom at night.
⁃ Put treads on hardwood stairs.
⁃ Keep items you use daily in the kitchen at eye level.
⁃ Make sure banisters in stairways are sturdy.
⁃ Ensure that staircases are well lit.
⁃ Eliminate clutter in entryways, stairs, and walking paths.
⁃ Coil or tape electrical wires together against a wall.
⁃ Consider a medical alert system for 24 hour emergency use.