Are You at Risk for a Fall?

Check those that apply to you:

• Had a fall within the last year
• Require assistance of another person to walk or use a device like a cane or a walker
• Have generalized weakness and particularly weakness in your legs
• Have dizziness or lightheadedness
• Have depression or episodes of forgetfulness
• Have less sensation/feeling in your feet or legs
• Have foot pain or other problems with your feet
• Have unsteady balance
• Have an unsteady walk
• Prefer to wear slip-on loose-fitting slippers or frequently do not wear shoes
• Have impaired/poor vision/hearing
• Do not remember or choose not to follow precautions or use your cane/walker consistently
• Do things quickly without thinking and taking care to move carefully
• Take more than four medications each day
• Experience side effects of medications that make you drowsy, dizzy, or weak
• Reach too far or bend way over to pick something up
• Have to rush to the bathroom or experience incontinence
• Do you have safety hazards in your home (eg, poor lighting, torn carpet edges, cluttered hallways, etc)
• Would be safer with the assistance of another person, but do not have a caregiver

How to make your home safer:

1. Clear away as much furniture or clutter as much as possible to leave wide-open areas for walking.
2. Install grab bars/rails on doorways, steps, uneven areas, and in the bathroom.
3. Provide good lighting in all areas. Use nightlights at night to see how to get to the bathroom.
4. Be sure the bed is not too high to get in and out safely.
5. Be sure your chair is high enough to get out of easily and preferably has arms. (Think about using chair cushion lifts, risers on chairs, and elevated toilet seats.)
6. Remove any loose rugs or flooring with broken or curled edges, tape down loose carpet edges.
7. Have secure grab bars installed in the tub enclosure, along with nonskid rubber mats and handles or rails near the toilet.
8. Use a transfer belt to improve ease and safety in moves to/from bed, chair, toilet, or for walking.
9. Always wear supportive shoes with a nonskid sole.
10. See an eye doctor and follow his/her recommendations to have your best vision.
11. When changing position from lying to sitting or to standing, move slowly, and pause for a moment in the new position to be sure you are steady.
12. Report any side effects of medication promptly so that any adjustments can be made.
13. Discuss urinary incontinence with your nurse and doctor to see what can be done to control this better. Cut down on fluids before bedtime, Consider using a bedside commode.
14. Discuss with your doctor recommended exercise and activity to build strength. Physical therapy may be recommended for strengthening, gait, or balance exercises.
15. Follow your doctor’s recommendations consistently. Use your assistive device (cane, walker, wheelchair) as instructed. Wait for assistance, if necessary. Consider the consequences of a broken bone from a fall as compared with the perceived inconvenience of using these helpful devices.
16. If you have a Personal Emergency Response unit, make sure you wear it or keep your pendant with you at all times.
17. Ask your family and friends to let your phone ring 10 times when they call. If you don’t answer, they should wait a minute, call back, and let the phone ring another ten times. This will allow plenty of time for you to get to the telephone. Consider using an answering machine.