- 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 medical
treatment. In 2005, almost 16,000 older adults in the United States died
from falls, 1.8 million were treated in emergency departments, and 433,000
were hospitalized.

More information

The U.S. National Institute on Aging has more about older
adults and falls.