Issue 37.09
On September 3rd Alice was in her home and decided to change the light bulb. As she reached up and started changing the bulb, she lost her balance and fell to the floor. It was just a little fall, but that fall has made all the difference in the world.
Nationally, falls are the leading cause of injury deaths among people age 65 and older and account for 87 percent of all fractures in that age group. In 2002, 12,800 people across the country died as a result of falls and 1.6 million seniors were treated in U.S. emergency rooms, according to the National Council on Aging (NCOA).
While Alice’s fall was not fatal, the effects of her injury are causing dramatic lifestyle changes. “Mentally, it has been hard on her, not to mention physically difficult trying to recover from the fall.” said her daughter.
“The growth of the aging population, the desire of mature adults to remain independent and the rising costs of health care and long-term care make finding ways to prevent and reduce falls of paramount importance,” said James Firman, President & CEO of NCOA.
As a result of this fall Alice has required more dependence on others as she recovers. So what do seniors do to remain independent and safe?
Fortunately, there are things that you can do to prevent falls. Many of these include:
1. Remove all loose wires, cords and throw rugs.
2. Keep floors free of clutter.
3. Keep furniture in its accustomed place.
4. Install grab bars on the bathroom walls beside the tub, shower and toilet.
5. Use non-skid mats or rugs on the floor near the stove and sink.
6. Keep a flashlight with fresh batteries beside your bed.
Another way to remain independent and get help immediately in the event of a fall is with a personal emergency response system.
This is where Rescue Alert of Dixie makes it possible for people to remain in the comfort of their own homes and have the knowledge and peace of mind that help is just minutes away 24 hours a day.
A study of personal emergency response systems has shown that the leading reasons for using the emergency response system were falls and chest pains. Families felt less burdened, and the seniors were not socially isolated and had improved feelings of security and control of their environment and reduced helplessness.
We are happy to say that Alice is now a subscriber here at Rescue Alert of Dixie and is very faithful about wearing her help button.
Many people are afraid that they will press their help button on accident and that an ambulance will be sent to their house. There is no need to worry about this because the signal sent by your medical alarm is received by the Rescue Alert Response Center. When you press your help button, whether by accident or on purpose, you will be promptly contacted by a friendly Rescue Alert attendant who will ask if you need help. Inadvertently pressing your button is ok, and more than that, it is an excellent test of the system. Call Rescue Alert of Dixie today for a free consultation (435) 986-1735.