The Bottom Line: Resolve to Reduce Falls

By Meri-K Appy
December 2005

Many of us resolve to start the New Year off by doing something better. I’m one of them. As a card-carrying “safety nerd,” each year I vow to do even more to help prevent the needless injuries and deaths that occur as a result of unintentional injuries at home. One of my biggest fears in life is that someone I love will be seriously injured from something that could have been prevented.

Maybe you’ve got a list of New Year’s resolutions started yourself. I hope you’ll permit me to add my two cents about how fire and life safety advocates can best ring in 2006: Resolve to reduce falls!

As you may already know, falls are the leading cause of unintentional injury for U.S. homes, resulting in an average of nearly 6,000 deaths each year. And while injuries can happen to people of any age, children 14 and younger and adults 65 and older are especially at risk for falls.

This coming year, the Home Safety Council is urging America’s fire and life safety educators to help us tackle the problem of preventable falls at home. By making this a public safety priority in your community, you can also be part of the national solution.

Now here’s the catch: It won’t do much good to have you out on the street urging your audience to be aware of the risk of falls and the simple steps to prevent them if you and your own family are not. So please, add this to your list of New Year’s Resolutions: I resolve to reduce falls in my own home.

It’s easy to do, and so important. A small investment of time will pay large dividends for the people you love, and give you a foundation of credibility when you make safety presentations. I know that you wouldn’t dream of talking to an audience about the importance of smoke alarms and escape plans if you and your family didn’t have them yourselves. It’s the same with other home injury prevention areas. The more personally committed you are, the more effective your educational outreach is.

Once you’ve protected your own home, I hope you’ll incorporate fall-prevention tips into your community safety presentations whenever possible. Help your audiences understand that each of us should identify hazards that can lead to slips and falls in and around our homes, and remove or remedy them immediately.

Free Fall-Prevention Resources

We want to make it easy for you to teach fall-prevention, so the Home Safety Council offers a variety of free teaching materials on our Web site, and through our Expert Network.

One of our most widely used teaching tools is the older adult falls prevention video SAFE STEPS, which includes a director’s guide, a colorful poster, and other great teaching aides to enhance the educational experience for your audience. If you haven’t already received your free SAFE STEPS video, join the HSC Expert Network today and request your copy.

As you think about the fall-prevention educational messages for your home and to share with your community, keep these essentials in mind:

Snow and Ice

In regions where snow falls or ice forms, outdoor areas should be high on your safety check list:

• Keep porches, landings and walkways shoveled and use de-icing products regularly.
• Put away snow removal equipment promptly.
• Replace or repair loose bricks or stones that get displaced during snow removal.
• Keep handrails clean and accessible.

Stairs and Steps

Seventeen percent of unintentional falls at home occur on stairs and steps.

• All stairs and steps should be protected with a secure banister or hand-rail on both sides.
• Hold on to rails when climbing up or down.
• Use caution when carrying large or heavy items on stairs; ensure you can see over the load and be able to hold the rail.
• Use bright lighting over stairs, steps, porches and landings.

Good Lighting, Indoors and Out

Bright lights are important for all steps and stairways, walkways, hallways and porches.

• Use the maximum safe wattage for light fixtures, but don’t exceed it (safe wattage is generally labeled inside the fixture).
• Use nightlights in hallways and bathrooms.
• Place flashlights with fresh batteries by the beds in each bedroom.
• In a power outage use flashlights for light, not candles.

In the Kitchen and Bathroom

• Wipe up spills promptly and keep floors dry.
• Tubs and showers should have non-slip decals or mats and secure grab bars.
• Use slip-resistant bath mats.
• Use a rug-liner or choose rugs with non-skid backs to reduce slipping.

Toys and Tots

• Keep toys and games away from steps and landings.
• For very young children use safety gates at the tops and bottoms of stairs, including decks.
• Install window guards on upper windows to prevent falls. (Select guards with emergency-release devices.)
• Supervise young children constantly, indoors and out.

Safer Climbing

Every home should have a safety step-stool or ladder, with handrails and slip-resistant treads.

• Never use chairs or other furniture to climb; they can tip or collapse.
• Make sure ladders are well positioned and you keep your center of gravity stable – stay at or below the “safe standing level” of the ladder you’re using.

As with any educational outreach program, you’ll be more effective when you begin at the beginning – your own home. Not only will you and your family be safer from falls, but doing so will give you some personal talking points to enliven your presentations and increase your credibility.

Have a safe and healthy New Year!

Print out more free fall-prevention resources from the Home Safety Council:

Falls-prevention checklist in English and Spanish
SAFE STEPS poster
“Safety Huddle” for employers to share with employees