Fall Prevention
Written by: Benjamin Defrank
One out of every five people over the age of 65 will fall at
least once this year according to the latest data provided by the CDC. Furthermore, 1 out of every 5 of those people
that do fall will suffer an injury during the fall. This will happen to millions of Americans
this year alone. Take steps now to
ensure your or a loved one’s safety with fall prevention equipment from Alex
Orthopedic. A fall can occur anywhere in your residence although there are a
few places where falls happen more often.
One of the most common places where falls occur is in the bathroom especially, when trying to get into or out of a bathtub. There are a couple of preventative measures you can take to lower your risk of falling in the bathroom. You can install a Grab Bar to the wall near your bathtub which will provide a rail which you can hold onto securely. If you don't feel secure enough with just a grab bar, you might consider purchasing a transfer bench for your bathtub. The transfer bench allows you to sit down outside of the tub and then slide into the tub. A transfer bench also serves as a shower chair allowing you to stay seated while taking a shower.
Another place where you are likely to fall is near your
bed. You are at risk of falling while
trying to get into or out of your bed as well as rolling out of your bed while
sleeping. Even though the distance you
might fall from a bed doesn't seem very far, you still run the risk of injuring
yourself especially if you have wood floors in your bedroom. The Fall mat by Alex Orthopedic provides a
two-inch cushion which sits beside the bed reducing the risk of injury from
someone falling out of the bed. This
fall mat folds in half to make storage simpler when not in use.
Finally, you are at risk of falling in your house anywhere
the floor can become slick such as on tile or wood. You have an increased chance of slipping and
falling when traversing these areas wearing only socks. Wearing slip-resistant booties will make it
safer to walk on these slick surfaces without any additional walking aides.
Alex also carries slip-resistant wool socks for people who are especially prone
to cold feet.