Aging in Place? Take Steps to Prevent Falling
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This Falls Prevention Awareness Month, we at Affiliated Foot & Ankle Center are thinking about our elderly patients – and, if we’re honest, all our elderly neighbors in Monmouth County. They wish to stay in their homes as they get older. “Aging in place” is a concept and a choice that’s right for some and perhaps not right for others.
If you’ve decided that you’re going to stay in your home as long as possible, consider taking steps to lessen your chances of taking a dangerous fall.
Falling is a huge problem for senior citizens. Falls account for hundreds of thousands of broken hips each year in the U.S. alone., as well as other broken bones and serious head injuries. These injuries can mean the difference between maintaining your independence at home and entering an assisted living facility or nursing home.
When you choose to age in place, take these three steps to make your home safer:
Fix outside hazards: replace loose pavers on walkways, fill potholes in the driveway, install or replace aging guardrails on the front steps, and add lighting in poorly lit areas.
Renovate bathrooms: install grab bars, raise the toilet height, and update to a walk-in shower, so you don’t have to step up and over a bathtub.
Redecorate and remove: reposition furniture that blocks a clear pathway from one room to another. Remove piles of mail or magazines on the floor and area rugs that can trip you up. Move lamps and other electronics whose electrical cords also intrude upon your path and pose a tripping hazard.
It can be overwhelming to take on these home upgrades. Here’s some advice: take it one room at a time, or even one section of one room at a time. Also, you don’t have to go it alone: enlist the help of a friend or family member who will probably be pleased to help you improve the safety of your home.
Finally, remember that our board-certified podiatrists are here to help, too. Our expertise lies not in installing shower bars but in fixing your feet. If you have pain or instability in your feet, that’s a fall risk, too. Make an appointment with Dr. Samantha Boyd, Dr. Hal Ornstein, Dr. Dan Phan, or Dr. Joseph Saka to relieve the pain of flat feet, bunions, neuromas, and diabetes-related issues such as poor circulation or neuropathy. Call our Howell and Jackson offices at (732) 905-1110 or contact us online.