Ninety percent of people want to remain in their own homes, where they’re comfortable and have privacy and dignity.
Neenah, Wis. (PRWEB) September 19, 2013
As the National Council on Aging and other senior organizations across the nation recognize Falls Prevention Awareness Day Sept. 22, safely aging in place is achievable for many seniors, according to Lynn Wilson, Founder of The CareGiver Partnership, a national retailer of incontinence products and other home health care supplies.
“Ninety percent of people want to remain in their own homes, where they’re comfortable and have privacy and dignity. Yet, falls or fear of falling are the cause of up to 40 percent of nursing home admissions,” says Wilson.
“The bathroom is one of the most dangerous rooms in the house and where many falls occur. It’s not surprising when you consider bathrooms typically have slippery surfaces and often are used in the middle of the night when lighting is low,” she adds.
Wilson offers five quick and easy ways to prevent falls by instantly making a home safer:
1. Removal of tripping hazards such as clutter, throw rugs, cords and furniture in pathways. Furniture and cords should be located around a room’s perimeter. If an area rug is necessary, it should be attached to the floor with heavy-duty, double-sided tape.
2. Adding adequate, even lighting throughout the home to avoid shadows. Lighting should be sufficiently bright but not cast glare. Glare can be reduced with frosted bulbs, indirect lighting, lamp shades and partially closed window coverings. Nightlights in bedrooms, bathrooms, halls and stairways can help prevent falls.
3. Installing bathroom safety features — such as grab bars, nonskid mats, bath benches and raised toilet seats — not only helps prevent slips and falls, but also helps a senior with limited mobility move with less pain and strain.
4. Using peel-and-stick color-contrasting strips in the home helps to visually define objects and changes in height. Ideal placement includes stair edges, where walls meet floors, thresholds and floor transitions, and the edges of tubs and showers.
5. A personal health and safety assessment can help reduce risk of falling. An aging-in-place lifestyle typically includes a healthy diet, plenty of vitamin D through sunlight and supplements, weight-bearing exercise on a regular basis, proper-fitting footwear and eyeglasses, limited alcohol use, and being aware of medication side effects.
Visit The CareGiver Partnership to learn more about how companies like Stander are helping seniors remain independent and to access hundreds of free articles, resources and a fall prevention guide.
The CareGiver Partnership is a national direct-to-consumer retailer of home healthcare products for incontinence, diabetes, nutrition support and more. In its seventh year of providing products and services that help caregivers and loved ones maintain personal dignity, the company also offers an online library of more than 1,400 family caregiver resources and personal service by experts in caregiving. Call 1-800-985-1353 or visit online at caregiverpartnership.com.
