September 23 Is Falls Prevention Awareness Day
Right at Home of Central New Jersey
Has Important Facts You Should Know
The right people, doing the right things,
the right way, for the right reasons.
Right at Home.
Today is Falls Prevention Awareness Day. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shares some sobering facts and figures about falls among older adults:
- 1/3 of people older than 65 fall each year.
- 285,000 of these seniors will suffer a hip fracture.
- 75 seniors each day die from the results of a fall injury.
- Fall-related injuries cost Medicare and Medicaid upwards of $40 billion annually.
Talk to your doctor about fall prevention:
- Discuss your risk factors for falling and ask your healthcare provider to recommend a fall prevention class.
- Get plenty of exercise. This should include muscle strengthening, aerobic experience, stretching, and balancing activities such as tai chi.
- Ask your doctor to review all the medications you take, including prescriptions, over-the-counter drugs, and herbal products.
- Have regular eye examinations and keep your eyeglass and contact lens prescriptions up to date. (Have your hearing checked, too).
- Wear the right shoes. They should fit well, with a low heel. Ask your doctor if you’re not sure of the best choice of footwear.
- Clean up spills promptly, replace worn carpeting, and remove throw rugs and clutter – anything in the path that could trip you up.
- Make home safety improvements. These might include improved lighting, handrails on stairs, and grab bars in the bathroom.
- Drink alcohol in moderation only, if at all. Our bodies process alcohol more slowly as we grow older.
We can’t prevent every fall but taking the above steps can reduce the risk considerably. For more fall prevention tips, Right at Home of Central New Jersey encourages you to watch this short video from the National Council on Aging on how to prevent falls.
If you or someone you love needs help to live safely in their home or because they are recovering from a fall, please call Beth Sholom, Owner/Executive Director of Right at Home of Central New Jersey to let us know how we can help. We provide care from a few hours a day to overnight shifts to live-in care. We'll work with you and your family to come up with the best plan and we are always available 24/7 to help. We promise we will care for your family as we would care for our own families!
(This article includes copyrighted information from Illuminage Communication Partners and was originally published by Right at Home on CaringNews.com).
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About Right at Home of Central New Jersey – Right at Home offers in-home companionship and personal care and assistance to seniors and disabled adults who want to continue to live independently. The Right at Home of Central New Jersey office is a locally owned and operated franchise office of Right at Home, Inc., serving the communities of Middlesex and Northern Monmouth Counties.
For more information, contact Right at Home of Central New Jersey at
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