Safer Stairs For The Elderly:
Elderly people (over 65 year olds) are the age group that is most affected by falls, with one third of the over 65 year olds falling at least once a year and 5 to 6% of these falls resulting in fractures. A vast majority of these fractures accure whilst losing balance going down the stairs. The main factors that put the elderly at risk of falling down the stairs are impaired vision, reduced strength and poor balance.
However, contrary to popular belief, falling is not a normal part of ageing and it can be prevented. Most falls are due to medical conditions such as osteoporosis, lack of physical activity, impaired vision and environmental hazards.
Osteoporosis is a medical condition wherein bones become porus, less resistant to stress and more prone to fractures. The main causes of Osteoporosis are hormonal changes as well as calcium and a lack of vitamin D. It is the main cause of fractures in older adults. Osteoporosis can be prevented by eating calcium rich food (postmenopausal women need 1,500 mg of calcium/day), get sufficient intake of vitamin D to enhance the absorption of calcium in the bloodstream, and regularly carry out weight-bearing exercises.
Lack of physical activity can lead to poor muscle tone, decreased muscle strength and loss of bone mass and flexibility. All these factors contribute to increasing the risk of a fall along with the seriousness of the injury that will result from the fall. It is therefore recommended to undertake regular physical exercise (at least 15 minutes a day) and wear proper fitting supportive rubber soles.
Impaired vision such as glaucoma and cataracts alter older people’s vision and increase their suspectibility to glare. These limitations hinder their ability to evolve in a safe environment and may lead to falls down the stairs. It is advised to have regular eye-checks and use contrasting colours to define balancing objects.
At least one third of falls in the elderly involve environmental hazards in the home. The most common hazard is tripping over an object that was lying on the floor. Other factors include the lack of grab bars along staircases and loose rugs. The risk of falling because of an environmental hazard in the home can be reduced by installing handrails on stairs and steps and keeping staircases clutter free. In this case having a stairlift fitted will also contribute to reduce the risk of falling down the stairs, as it will effortless bring you up and down the stairs.
Visit the Acorn Stairlifts site to find out more about stairlifts and other ways of preventing falls. You can get a unique content version of this article from the Uber Article Directory.
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