JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – More than one out of four older people falls each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
But there are ways to prevent or reduce the risk of falling.
Brooks Rehab walked us through the home of a Jacksonville couple in their 80s to showcase some of the most common reasons seniors fall at home and what can be done to reduce the risk.
Chandler Rice, an occupational therapist, first walked us through the bathroom.
“I would say not having grab bars, not sitting to take a shower, and not having the non-slip surfaces, sometimes the mats in the showers don’t stick because of grout,” Rice said.
Rice said getting up in the middle of the night is also a common reason, which is why it is important to keep the pathway clear, always turn on a light, and never rush.
Rice also said a handrail next to the bed is very important, and making sure the bed is not too high.
“Sometimes the bed is too slick with the bed being high, so we’ll recommend a sandpaper material and never walking in regular socks because they make it slippery,” Rice said.
Beth Edenfield, Rice’s patient, recalled falling as she pushed a table. She broke bones in her face that time.
“The table went further than I thought, and I fell, and that’s when I broke my shoulder,” Edenfield said.
But that is not the only fall she has experienced.
“That one I was on my front porch and ended on the cement driveway,” Edenfield said.
She and her husband, Richard, welcomed Rice’s help to make their home safer for them.
Both are in their 80s.
“Three months ago, I fell in the garage coming home from church,” Richard Edenfield said.
Richard has a condition that makes his feet numb. He said Rice has taught him to reduce his chances of falling as he walks to the garage to do the laundry.
Meanwhile, Beth is going to start using a cane to steady herself when she needs it.
“If I get incapacitated, I’m not going to be able to help him like I need to,” she said. “I’m all he’s got.”
They’ll be married 60 years this January.
Both are focused on staying safe in their home so they can spend as much time as possible with their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.