Falls are a common cause of injury, especially for senior Canadians. Approximately 85% of the injury-related hospitalizations for seniors in Canada are caused by falls.November is fall prevention month. Because falls can cause severe injuries, including broken bones, spinal cord injuries, and brain damage, we encourage all readers to take the time to learn more about falls and takes steps to fall-proof their home to reduce the risk of a fall injury in the home.
Tips for Fall-Proofing Your Home
Falls at home can be very dangerous, especially for the elderly. It is important to take steps to reduce the risk of falling for everyone in your home. Ways you can fall-proof your home include:
- Clean spills on the floor as quickly as possible to avoid slipping on slick or wet surfaces.
- Don’t place furniture or cords in walking paths.
- Increase the light in your home. The lack of light in a home often plays a factor in falls, especially for anyone with vision problems.
- If you wax your floor, always use a non-skid floor wax.
- Install sturdy handrails on all stairways in your home and outside of your home.
- If you live in an area where snow and ice are common, make sure that you have sand or salt available to place on slippery surfaces. You should have a family member clean snow and ice off steps and walkways or hire someone to do this for you if you cannot safely do this for yourself.
- Always wear shoes with non-skid soles instead of socks, especially if you have smooth or wooden floors.
- When carrying items through your home, don’t try to carry too many items or items that are very heavy without help. Carry multiple items or extremely heavy items can increase your riskof a fall.
- To prevent falls when retrieving items, store items on lower shelves and use a step stool with handrails when you need to get an item from an upper shelf.
- Make sure that all flooring is secured to the surface, especially area rugs.
- Install nightlights to illuminate walkways at night, both outside and inside of your home.
Preventing Falls in the Bathroom and Kitchen
The bathroom and kitchen are common rooms where people fall at home. You can reduce the risk of a fall by:
- Installing non-skid mats and grab handles in your bathroom for the tub, shower, and toilet. Don’t forget to install bars near the sink too.
- Install and use a raised toilet seat.
- Make sure that the cleansers you use to clean your tub and shower do not leave a slippery residue on the surfaces.
- Place non-skid mats in the kitchen to help with spills and slick surfaces.
- If necessary, use bath benches and chairs when bathing or showering.
What Should You Do If You Fall?
If you fall, see a doctor! You may not believe you are seriously injured; however, those aches and pains you believe are just “soreness” in the days after a fall could be an indication of a more severe injury. It is always a wise choice to seek medical assistance after any fall to protect your health. If you believe that your fall was the fault of another party, contact an Ontario slip and fall lawyer for a free case evaluation.
Ontario Slip and Fall Lawyers
If you are injured in a fall at another person’s home or on commercial property, you might be entitled to recover compensation from the property owner. To obtain a free consultation and no-obligation case evaluation, contact the team of lawyers at Diamond and Diamond.
Our law firm is available 24/7 to discuss your insurance claim. Call 1-800-567-HURT now or visit our website to speak with a representative.
