Navigation Links
Falls Are Top Cause of Injury, Death Among Elderly
Date:7/19/2008

Not all homes are the same, but common sense measures can reduce the risk, expert says

SATURDAY, July 19 (HealthDay News) -- Falls are a leading cause of serious injury and death among elderly people in the United States, and most of those falls occur in the home, says the American Geriatric Society (AGS).

"There are many steps people can take to make their home safer for those who are aging. Something as small as using a night light in a dark hallway can prevent an elderly person from falling during the night," Dr. Cheryl Phillips, a member of the AGS, said in a news release. "Falls are so dangerous to this particular population, and there are easy ways to help avoid them," she added.

Phillips offered the following safety suggestions:

  • Remove loose carpets and rugs, and put non-skid backing on rugs to avoid tripping.
  • Wear shoes with firm, non-skid soles around the house. Wearing slippers or socks without some type of rubber grip on the bottom can increased the risk of falls.
  • Place night lights in dimly lit areas, at the top and bottom of stairs, and in bedrooms and bathrooms.
  • Remove clutter, boxes and low furniture from the house, and especially from near staircases.
  • Install hand rails near any stairs in the home or backyard and check that existing hand rails are sturdy.
  • Install grab bars near the toilet and bath tub, and no slip decals or a rubber mat in the tub or shower.
  • Place contrasting strips at the edge of each step to clearly define where the step ends.

"I advise caregivers to walk through the home and check each room for potential dangers. Not all homes are the same, so caregivers should ask themselves what safety issues are unique to the particular house," Phillips said.

Each year, about one in three Americans aged 65 and older suffers a fall, and 30 percent of those falls cause injuries that require med
'/>"/>

Copyright©2008 ScoutNews,LLC.
All rights reserved

0

GOOD

Page: 1 2

Related medicine news :

1. U.S. Womens Health Care Still Falls Short: Report
2. Visual field loss primary component in risk of falls for older adults
3. Heart attacks/pneumonia falls short of national goals
4. Depression screening for cancer patients too often falls between the cracks
5. Vitamin D May Curb Falls in High-Risk Older Women
6. U.S. Abortion Rate Falls to Lowest Level in Decades
7. Toll-Free Hotline to Help Seniors Avoid Falls
8. Caregiver Magazine Urges Preventive Measures Against Wandering, Falls, Abuse
9. Aromatherapy Falls Short, Study Finds
10. 30 National Organizations Issue Call to Action for Congress to Fully Fund Falls Prevention Programming in CDC Budget
11. White Paper Helps Building Owners Avoid Costs, Downfalls of Construction Projects
Post Your Comments:
*Name:
*Comment:
*Email:
(Date:2/9/2010)... Center have found a direct link between neighborhood ... in African American women. The study, which appears ... , is the first prospective study to examine ... of type 2 diabetes in a large, geographically ... diabetes is estimated to affect 20.6 million people ...
(Date:2/9/2010)... Texas , Feb. 9 ... and project coordinator for the University of North ... Health Science Center , was instrumental in recently identifying ... in the Patio 29 cemetery. ,, The Chilean ... lead geneticist for a process audit team of the ...
(Date:2/9/2010)... most comprehensive study to date of secondhand smoke exposure ... journal Addiction . The study, carried out by ... reveals that exposure to household secondhand smoke among children ... researchers wanted to find out if there were ways ... children in private households, and whether those levels were ...
(Date:2/9/2010)... more effective in persuading young women to use birth ... according to a new study. , Researchers found that ... teen pregnancy felt more vulnerable two weeks after watching ... using birth control. , However, those who watched a ... were unmoved, and had no change in their intentions ...
(Date:2/9/2010)... 2010) AcademyHealth today recognized research that improves patient ... Services Research (HSR) Impact Award. The WHO Surgical ... ensure adherence to basic safety standards of care. ... that clearly translated into policy and, ultimately, made ... W. David Helms, Ph.D. "The WHO Surgical Safety ...
Breaking Medicine News(10 mins):Health News:Neighborhood socioeconomic status and diabetes 2Health News:UNT Health Science Center's Roby Helps Identify Bodies of Chile's Patio 29 2Health News:UNT Health Science Center's Roby Helps Identify Bodies of Chile's Patio 29 3Health News:Exposure to secondhand smoke among children in England has declined since 1996 2Health News:TV drama can be more persuasive than news program, study finds 2Health News:TV drama can be more persuasive than news program, study finds 3Health News:TV drama can be more persuasive than news program, study finds 4Health News:2010 HSR Impact Award recognizes surgical safety research 2
... March 10 On March 23, the Easter,Bunny will ... goodies.,But, if you,re one of the lucky recipients, make ... your pets. Chocolate is poisonous to,dogs and cats, and ... equally as dangerous., Dr. Gregory S. Hammer, president ...
... Computer,Services, Inc. (NYSE: ACS ) announced today ... contract to provide information technology,outsourcing (ITO) services to ... system., Under the terms of the agreement, ... operations, network,monitoring and management, asset tracking, and help ...
... Therap Services announces,the appointment of Anna Keith ... web-based service bureau offering an integrated suite,of applications ... support team consisting of former executive directors, house,managers, ... happy to have Anna in our team. Anna ...
... have correlated with prostate biopsy results in the detection ... for men with a normal prostate exam, according to ... issue of CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American ... make PSA less useful in prostate cancer screening. , ...
... Fiduciary, Media, Network ... Security and Data Privacy Coverage, ... (NYSE: DR ) has introduced a new,multi-coverage corporate ... comprehensive policy, Darwin has integrated the,following coverage parts, which ...
... Drosophila (fruit flies), have identified several drugs and small molecules ... frequent form of mental retardation and one of the leading ... for developing new treatments for fragile X syndrome. , The ... chair of the Department of Human Genetics at Emory University ...
Other Medicine News:Health News:AVMA: Keep Pets Safe This Easter 2Health News:ACS Awarded $41 Million Contract to Provide IT Outsourcing Services to Parkland Hospital 2Health News:ACS Awarded $41 Million Contract to Provide IT Outsourcing Services to Parkland Hospital 3Health News:Therap Services Welcomes Anna Keith to the US Customer Support Team 2Health News:Biopsy techniques have made PSA test less predictive 2Health News:Darwin Introduces New Managed Care Corporate Liability Insurance 2Health News:Darwin Introduces New Managed Care Corporate Liability Insurance 3Health News:Drosophila drug screen for fragile X syndrome finds promising compounds and potential drug targets 2
(Date:2/8/2010)... LOUIS , Feb. 8 Cost ... Healthcare Products (Nasdaq: AHPI ) narrowly back into ... ,, Sales for the quarter ended December 31, ... $12.5 million during the same quarter last year ... However, Allied,s costs of sales were reduced even more ...
(Date:2/8/2010)... EAST BRUNSWICK, N.J. , Feb. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ ... today that the company will release financial results for ... of the market on Thursday, February 25, 2010 ... David Gionco, Group Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, ... 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time on February ...
(Date:2/8/2010)... Feb. 8 Hanger Orthopedic Group, Inc. (NYSE: ... report its results of operations for the year ended ... . ,, The Company plans to issue a press release ... 2009 on Wednesday, February 10, 2010 , after ... to begin at 9:00 a.m., EST , on ...
Breaking Medicine Technology:Allied Healthcare Products Returns to Profitability By Offsetting Depressed Sales with Cost Reductions 2Allied Healthcare Products Returns to Profitability By Offsetting Depressed Sales with Cost Reductions 3Allied Healthcare Products Returns to Profitability By Offsetting Depressed Sales with Cost Reductions 4Allied Healthcare Products Returns to Profitability By Offsetting Depressed Sales with Cost Reductions 5Allied Healthcare Products Returns to Profitability By Offsetting Depressed Sales with Cost Reductions 6Savient Pharmaceuticals To Hold Fourth Quarter And Year-End 2009 Results Conference Call On Friday, February 26, 2010 2Hanger Orthopedic Group, Inc. Announces 2009 Year-End Earnings Release Conference Call 2New type of genetic change identified in inherited cancer 58828 1New type of genetic change identified in inherited cancer 58828 2New type of genetic change identified in inherited cancer 58828 3Study finds 231 new genes associated with head and neck cancer 10252 1Study finds 231 new genes associated with head and neck cancer 10252 21 Million Preemie Babies Die Each Year 3A Report 58826 11 Million Preemie Babies Die Each Year 3A Report 58826 21 Million Preemie Babies Die Each Year 3A Report 58826 3
... announced today the 28 recipients of the 2009 Seed Grant Research Program. ... physician residents and fellows to conduct basic science, applied or clinical research ... four categories: , , , ... HIV/AIDS , Leukemia , ...
... 6 B-R-A-H-M-S,Aktiengesellschaft today announced it has submitted ... (FDA) to market its patented B-R-A-H-M-S,MR-proANP Kryptor Test. ... (ANP) is predominantly produced in the atrium,of the ... in the,circulation. ANP is involved in natriuresis, diuresis, ...
Other Medicine Technology:AMA Foundation Announces Seed Grant Research Recipients 2AMA Foundation Announces Seed Grant Research Recipients 3FDA Submission of B-R-A-H-M-S MR-proANP Kryptor 2
... is a national reference laboratory and a ... development. ARUP offers an extensive test menu ... in clinical and anatomic pathology. Owned by ... include more than half of the nation's ...
... national reference laboratory and a worldwide leader ... offers an extensive test menu of highly ... and anatomic pathology. Owned by the University ... than half of the nation's university teaching ...
... a national reference laboratory and a worldwide ... ARUP offers an extensive test menu of ... clinical and anatomic pathology. Owned by the ... more than half of the nation's university ...
... is a national reference laboratory and a ... development. ARUP offers an extensive test menu ... in clinical and anatomic pathology. Owned by ... include more than half of the nation's ...
Medicine Products: