Since january 1st of this year, people over 65 years old had a fall in Europe, sometimes with serious consequences.
Since january 1st of this year, people over 65 years old had a fall in Europe, sometimes with serious consequences.
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Regardless of our age or physical capacities, our balance can be upset when moving about at home for numerous reasons.
Depending on our capacities and the context of the moment, two situations can arise: either we avoid the fall or we do not succeed in restoring our balance.
At home, falls are more frequent in certain rooms, such as the bathroom, lavatories, kitchen, but also in transit areas such as the stairs and corridors.
If you are feeling vulnerable, there are certainly solutions to avoid a fall.However, do not wait until you experience a fall to take action!
. Going in and out of your home: What are the risks encountered when leaving or coming home?
. Moving about at home: Are there any risks when moving around at home?
. The bedroom: Is the bedroom a high-risk room?
. The living room: How can I make my living room safer?
. The kitchen: What are the risks encountered in the kitchen?
. The bathroom: The bathroom is a high-risk room, but what are those risks?
. The lavatories: How can I make the lavatories safer?
A few prevention principles
It is not about transforming your entire home overnight, but rather about knowing the fall risks that can easily be avoided and the means to make your movements and daily activities safer.Changing your habits is not an easy thing to do: you had better start by changing one at a time. But be aware that prevention is the best solution against falls.
A fall can lead to serious consequences that are likely to dramatically change all of your habits. If you have already fallen, do not wait any longer to make alterations to your home.
When we bring up home adaptation, it often calls forth the idea of 'a home like in the hospital', and no one likes for their interior to become a place that reminds them of illness or handicap.
Now, adaptation does not only concern the setting up of equipment and even less of exclusively specific equipment. Sometimes, organising your home a little differently is enough for it to become adapted to a slightly impaired gait or to more limited physical capacities.Furthermore, for various reasons, many people have a perfectly safe home (small children, when upkeep is difficult, etc.).
Numerous high-quality products with very different styles are available in stores and recommended, but one has to be able to recognise them!
Going in and out of your home
Accessing the exit of your building or house should not feel like a challenge, let it should keep you from going out, meeting your friends, going on with your leisure activities, etc.If your building or house has stairs, they should be equipped with rails, if possible on both sides. If there are none, place a request with your landlord or co-owners association.
- Check to see whether the rail installed is long enough (it mustn't stop too early but must continue until the last steps!)
- Think about nosings; they make it easier to visualise level differences
Access to the entrance of your house:
- Avoid gravels in the yard, which make walking unsteady;
- If you do not wish to keep the light outside your house on during the night when you leave, set up an outside automatic lighting system (movement detection); this lighting will help you get home safely;
- If you wish to have a doormat, pick a thin and anti-skid model;
- Install an ergonomic entrance door knob and a locking system that is easy to manipulate, especially if your hands are deformed;
- In order to know the identity of your visitors, have a peephole installed rather than door chain (because it hinders access by emergency services in the event of a problem);
- Think about giving a spare set of keys to your family members or to the people you trust! (This will also prevent your windows from being broken should emergency services have to intervene)
