Seven years after first declaring "Grab Bars are the New Seat Belts", Age Safe America urges greater adoption of grab bar usage to help mitigate millions of preventable injuries.
SARASOTA, Fla., Sept. 19, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- September is Falls Prevention Awareness Month. The goal is simple: keep older people on their feet. But achieving it isn't easy. It requires changes in behavior, environment, and sometimes even medications. The first step is understanding risk factors. Poor balance, weak muscles, certain medications, and vision problems all increase fall risk. Many of these can be addressed with exercise, medication reviews, and regular eye exams. The staggering fall statistics should motivate us all to take steps now to reduce preventable injuries.
Education is key. Most people don't realize how common falls are, or how serious their consequences can be. They don't know these simple prevention strategies for themselves or a loved one to make the home safer. Add grab bars inside and outside the tub or shower, and next to the toilet. Put railings on both sides of stairwells. Get rid of or move anything you could trip over. Make sure your home has lots of light by adding more or brighter light bulbs. By spreading this knowledge lives can be saved.
In 2017, Age Safe America first declared "Grab Bars are the New Seat Belts", and today the company is just as fervent about the use of this simple solution to help reduce falls and protect life. "By taking the simple action of installing grab bars, Americans can significantly reduce trauma-related hospital admissions among older adults, and the skyrocketing cost of fall-related injuries", said Steven Bailey, Managing Director of Age Safe America, LLC. The first Grab Bars campaign coincided with the launch of their evidence-based Senior Home Safety Specialist®(SHSS) certification, and last year introduced their Grab Bar Training.
Today basic bathroom accessories such toilet paper dispensers and towel racks have been redesigned with ADA compliant weight capabilities. Grab bars prevent falls and potential injuries by allowing a person to "grab" them during an emergency or in case of dizziness or loss of balance. Getting up and down from the toilet seat or in and out of the shower can be a challenge when age, balance, strength or a disability are an issue. The fact is most homes have never had a comprehensive home safety assessment. "Many people resist these changes. They may see them as admitting defeat or ruining the look of their home. This is where awareness comes in. We need to reframe these modifications. They're not about getting old; they're about staying independent. They're a way to keep living in the home you love", stated Fritzi Gros-Daillon, Director of Education for Age Safe America.
Age Safe America is joined by education partners, associations, franchise networks, healthcare organizations, and care providers including occupational therapists, physical therapists, kinesiotherapists, aging life care managers, CSA's, nurses, gerontologists, case managers, social workers, client care coordinators, and first responders. Along with certified handyman services, remodelers, mobility/accessibility providers, safety advisors, home inspectors, designers, organizers, and a myriad of other services providers; all echoing this very important message. All with a shared commitment to improving the lives of older adults through fall prevention awareness, and mitigation of risk factors for clients.
Senior Home Safety Specialist® certified and screened providers are out there every day helping families assess and secure their homes with quality safety and mobility services. Some of these include Mobility Plus®, Mr. Handyman®, TruBlue® Ally, House Doctors®, Close the Gap in Senior Care "Grab the Bars" initiative, and Meals on Wheels America and their "Helping Homebound Heroes" program, providing home assessments, repairs and modifications for aging veterans with support from The Home Depot Foundation.
As Kathy Cameron, Senior Director of NCOA's Center for Healthy Aging reminds everyone, "Although falls and fall-related injuries happen more frequently with age, it is vital to be proactive, learn more and implement the ideas!". The NCOA offers a valuable resource known as the Falls Free Checkup™, an online checklist designed to help individuals assess their risk of falling and discover effective strategies to reduce the risk, and a great toolkit for professionals and organizations.
"Fall prevention isn't glamorous. It's not a cure for cancer or a mission to Mars. But it's a practical way to improve millions of lives. It's about helping people age with dignity in the homes they've chosen. And that's worth a month of anyone's attention", added Fritzi.
About Age Safe America, LLC
Age Safe® America provides training, certification, consulting, resources and support to businesses and professionals serving our aging demographic, and those with mental and physical disabilities, as well as courses specific to seniors, their adult children, and the invisible army of family caregivers. To learn more please visit: https://agesafeamerica.com
Media Contact
Steven Bailey, Age Safe America, LLC, 1 877-357-7233, [email protected], https://agesafeamerica.com
SOURCE Age Safe America, LLC
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