We’ve all suffered falling over at some point in our lives. In childhood it might have seemed like our knees and shins were made up of a patchwork of black and blue bruises. At a younger age our bodies could handle falls. Our bones and joints were young and strong and capable of easily repairing themselves. As we grow older, however, our joints and bones are worn with years of use. So they are less capable of recovering from a nasty fall.
Knowing what to look out for and what to do if you take a tumble can greatly help reduce your risk of further injuring yourself.
Who is at risk of a fall?
Everybody falls over and it’s safe to say that, no matter how old you are, it can seriously hurt. Those more at risk from damaging their selves from falls, however, are people over the age of 65 with up to 40% of people in their 80s suffering regular trips and tumbles.
Falling isn’t a singular problem; it can be caused by multiple factors working against you at the same time such as:
- Lack of the proper nutrients your body requires to function properly
- A decline in your physical abilities, eg. your strength and stability
- Any chronic or acute diseases or disorders you may be suffering
- Medication which may impair your stability
- Decline in eye sight
- Any environmental hazards eg. spills and clutter.
How can you prevent a fall in your home?
Falling can be very scary, depending on how you fall and where you fall from. There are a few simple ways to help you prevent yourself from falling over.
- Remove clutter from your stairs- one of the more serious falls occur on the stairs. Books, clothes and other knickknacks left on the stairs can turn into a nasty tripping hazard.
- Make sure your stairs and banister are well maintained- old houses are renowned for their creaky stairs and wobbly banisters. Making sure these aspects of your home are well looked after can help prevent you from tripping over floorboards or losing your balance when you grab onto the banister.
- Replace worn or threadbare rugs or carpet- another feature of older houses is the carpet. Many people don’t think about the state of their flooring but bunched up, worn carpets are very easy to trip over, especially if it’s on your staircase.
What should you do if you fall?
The most important thing to do is not panic. Everybody falls, so don’t worry. Carefully check to see if you’re injured. If you are, try not to move, call for help and keep yourself warm.