Family Living
Focus
Bob Thee
Lancaster County
Keep on Your Toes
to Prevent Falls
Sometimes we get busy or
distracted and don’t think about
what we are doing to put our
selves at risk. We may laugh at
the pratfalls in a slapstick come
dy, but a fall can be a very seri
ous matter, especially as we get
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Falls in homes can occur for
many reasons. Some are related
to the features of the house, its
furnishings, or the activities in
which we engage. Some are
related to our own bodies, our
posture, gait, visual abilities,
diseases, how well our shoes fit,
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or the effect of medications we
are taking. In most cases, both
types of factors play a role in
why someone has fallen.
If you recognize the limita
tions placed on you by your body,
you can begin to identify places
where a fall might occur and
look for solutions for preventing
it. After talking to a group at a
senior day-care center on fall
injury prevention, one woman
told me that these methods are
things that we should know
already, but it is good to be
reminded of them.
Let’s start by considering
problems related to vision. One
obvious solution is good lighting.
Seventy-give watt bulbs are rec
ommended in all rooms, hall
ways, and stairways. But keep in
mind that some fixtures taxe a
maximum of 60 watts. Because
of the fire hazard, the maximum
wattage should never be exceed
ed. Night lights are inexpensive
and are helpful in lighting hall
ways and other areas at night.
You should be able to turn on
a light when entering a room
and turn it off when leaving a
room. If light switches are not
present at each doorway, consid
er installing motion activated or
photoelectric lights. Allow times
for your eyes to adjust to the dif
ferent light level when going
from light and dark areas.
Witnin the reach of your bed,
have a place to keep your eye
glasses and a flashlight.
Too much light can create a
Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, June 26, 1999-B5
problem with glare, especially
for person with cataracts. Glare
from light bulbs can be dealt
with by adding or changing a
lampshade. For ceiling lights, a
dimmer switch will allow you to
adjust the lighting level to what
you need. Glare from bright sun
light coming through the the
windows can be controlled with
window treatments.
Older persons require three
times as much contrast for the
detection of objects in the envi
ronment. Contrast in light and
dark surfaces can be especially
important at stairways. If you
cannot tell when you’ve reached
the last step you may be suscep
tible to falling. A baseboard of a
contrasting color will help if the
floor and wall surfaces blend
into one another because they
are very close to the same color.
Painting the top riser or the bot
tom step a different color will
also make it more distinguish
able.
If maintaining balance is a
problem what can you do? For
stairways, a solid,
secure handrail is
essential. Better yet, a
handrail on each side
of the stairway. If one
arm is weak, the
handrail on each side
is helpful because
whether going up or
down, you can use the
stronger arm to grasp
the railing.
Grab bars at the
bathtub, shower, or
toilet are essential.
Towel bars are not
grab bars. A properly
installed grab bar is
attached to the studs
in the wall and will
withstand much more
of a pull. Keep soap,
shampoo, and a towel
in a place where you
don’t have to bend to
reach them. Also use a
slip resistant mat in
the tub and on the
bathroom floor.
Solid, stable furni
ture that will not tip
over when leaned on
can also be important
for support when mov
ing through a room.
Never use a chair to
climb on. Instead, if
necessary to reach
something, use a step
stool with a handrail
or a sturdy ladder.
If dealing with
mobility problems,
weak leg strength, or
low foot swing, avoid
deep pile carpeting.
Throw rugs should
have non-skid back
ing. Deep or low chairs
also should be avoid
ed. The bed should be
at a good height for
ease of movement on
or off it.
Keep electrical and
telephone cords out of
the pathways Fans
and heaters should be
kept out of traffic
paths to avoid trip
ping.
These are just a few
suggestions of how to
recognize and deal
with various poten
tially hazardous situa
tions around the
house. No matter what
your age or ability,
these suggestions can
make your home a