Senior Health
Information, Symptoms, Treatments and Resources
Osteoporosis: When Bones Break Down
Preventing Falls and Fractures
Preventing Falls and Fractures
Taking preventive measures to protect yourself from slipping and falling is as important as building strong bones in the first place. Hip fractures account for 300,000 hospitalizations in the U.S. every year and they often occur when an older person falls down somewhere in their home. Some simple things you can do around the house to prevent falls include:
- Secure all rugs, especially throw
rugs and corners of rugs.
- Move any obstructions to walking,
such as loose cords or very low pieces of furniture, away from
well-traveled areas.
- Make sure rooms are well lit.
- Install a nightlight to illuminate
the path from your bedroom to the bathroom and clear the path of
clutter.
- Install grab bars in bathrooms
especially near the shower, tub or toilet.
- Place a no-skid mat in your tub or
shower.
- Have regular eye checkups.
By Katherine Solem, published April 26, 2011. Katherine Solem is a San Francisco-based health writer and editor.
