Every year, 1 in 3 elderly people suffer a fall. They are one of the leading causes of death, injury and hospital admissions among the elderly population, so it’s important to understand what causes them, and what steps can be taken to reduce the risk of it happening.

Why do falls become more frequent in old age?

Falls are not an inevitable part of growing older. But there are some reasons why the chances of having a fall can increase.

1. Lack of physical activity. Not exercising regularly results in poor muscle tone, decreased bone mass, loss of balance, and reduced flexibility.
2. Impaired vision. This can be as a result of age-related vision diseases, or just from not wearing glasses that have been prescribed.
3. Medications. Taking sedatives, anti-depressants, anti-psychotic drugs, or multiple medications can all often increase the indirect risk of having a fall.
4. Diseases. Health conditions such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and arthritis cause weakness in the extremities, poor grip strength, balance disorders and cognitive impairment.
5. Surgery. Hip replacements and other surgeries leave elderly people weak, in pain and discomfort and less mobile than they were before the surgery.
6. Environmental hazards. Hazards in the home (things such as poor lighting, loose carpets and lack of safety equipment) are said to cause at least one third of all falls in the elderly population. 

Top tips for a safer home

Many falls can be prevented, by making the home safer and using products that help keep seniors more stable and less likely to fall. Here are a few useful tips for making the home a safer place to be.

General

• Avoid clutter. Remove any furniture that is not needed. All remaining furniture should be stable and without sharp corners, to reduce the chance in injuries, should you fall
• Change the position of furniture, so that you can hold on to something as you move around the house
• Wear non-slip shoes or slippers indoors
• Keep the items you use most in easy-to-reach places
• Use a grasping tool for out-of-reach items, rather than a chair or stepladder
• Always wipe up spills and remove broken glass straight away

Bathroom

• Install safety bars, grab bars or handrails in the toilet, shower or bath
• Install a shower chair to help in the shower, or when getting in or out of the bath
• An anti slip mat on the floor in the bathroom, bath or shower is a simple, but effective addition to the home
• Make getting on and off the toilet easier by using a stool riser seat

Hallway and stairs

• Make sure stairs are sturdy with strong hand railings. Think about installing at least one stairway handrail extending beyond the first and last steps
• Make sure rugs, including those on stairs, are tacked to the floor and remove loose throw rugs

Heat, light and electrics

• Ensure rooms and stairwells are well lit. Replace bulbs to make the lighting brighter to aid vision, if you need to, or install motion-sensitive lighting that comes on when you enter a room. Use night lights in every home
• Install additional base plugs to remove the need for trailing electrical cords across the floor
• Keep the water heater thermostat set at 120 degrees F, or lower, to avoid scalding and burns

Other suggestions

Monitors/sensor pads - sensors are great for beds, chairs, or even the toilet. The pads electronically sense when there is no pressure and send an electronic signal to the monitor, setting off an alarm. They are plugged into the monitor through something similar to a telephone line. You can put pressure pads on top of or under a mattress for when you’re asleep. And because they are so thin, they’re comfortable to sleep on too. You can also get pads and monitors that detect and sound an alarm if someone steps on the pad. This type of pad is great for beside the bed, in a hallway or in front of a chair while your seating down.

Cushioned fall mats - fall mats are used to soften falls and prevent injury in areas with hard floors – for example, at the side of a bed, by a toilet or in front of a chair. They are available in various sizes 1-inch or 2-inches thick with beveled edges.

Lift slings - it’s likely that a lift sling will be needed if someone is unable to move into or out of a bed to a wheelchair or chair without help.

When a lift sling is used, it’s normally for one of three reasons:

• the elderly person is too heavy to be moved by hand
• to avoid the possibility of an injury to the carer from lifting
• there is a chance that the elderly person may suffer an injury or a fall without it