Every 20 Minutes, An Adult Over 65 Dies from Injuries Sustained in a Fall

September 18 through the 22nd is National Falls Prevention Week. It is an important time to evaluate our homes and other environments for trip/fall and other risks. Throughout our day, we rarely recognize the hazards that are all around us that could cause us harm. Consider this:

The Problem

In the US, every 20 minutes an adult over 65 dies from injuries sustained in a fall.

In 2021 alone, 29,100 died from falls in their home.

40% of nursing home admissions are due to trips and falls.

These are startling statistics! However, although many serious and sometimes fatal injuries occur in the home, a simple home safety assessment can detect risks that can cause these events. In our daily lives, we rarely take notice of our surroundings that could be unsafe for us. And in many cases, because we have lived in our homes so long they are simply not seen. Our health, lifestyle and abilities may have changed, but we have not taken the time to adapt our homes to these changes.

Common everyday dangers such as unattached floor rugs, rooms with obstructed walking paths, dim lighting, slippery floor coverings, frayed carpeting, warped wood flooring, water heater temperature set too high, and stairs with no handrails are all hazards that we may have simply come to live with. Performing a Silver Spaces Home Safety Assessment helps identify all of these risks and many more, providing clear, concise change or modification suggestions for reducing the hazards.

Whether it is your home, or that of your parents, other relatives or friends, or even if you are a caregiver, taking the time to view the home’s interior and exterior from a neutral perspective can be a step forward in creating a safe and secure home that an adult can remain in as they age. As accessible housing stock continues to diminish, remaining in our own homes is preferable to most older adults. And that is a major contributor to healthy aging!

If you would like more information on how Silver Spaces can assist in creating a safe and secure home for seniors please view our video:

Please also visit:
https://iacommunityhub.org/
https://www.cdcfoundation.org/blog/national-fall-prevention-awareness-week

Find Certified Aging in Place Specialists (CAPS) near me.