Falls are one of the leading causes of injury and mortality for seniors. A simple trip or fall can lead to a head injury or broken leg, hip or arm. And because many seniors live alone with few visitors, they can lay on the floor for hours or days at a time, turning a minor injury into something far more serious or even fatal.
The Safe Home for Seniors Program makes it less likely seniors will take a fall by taking preventive steps to reduce accidents and increase independence.
Services provided at no cost to economically disadvantaged seniors:
Fixing or replacing leaky and corroded faucets and pipes
Replacement of doors that are no longer safe
Replacement of re-glazing of broken windows
Cleaning out and organizing storage spaces to make them easier to use
Replacement of rotted or moldy kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities
Deck & porch repair
Installing night lights
Providing bedside lamps with touch on/off operation
Taping down rugs to prevent buckling and tripping
Providing non-slip mats for bath and kitchen
Clearing clutter and moving phone and electronics cords out of pathway areas
Installing safety lights, locks, railing, grab bars and smoke detectors
Repair of steps, doors and floors
Basic weatherization
Provide medication assessment, review and resolution to seniors at risk of falls due to medication concerns.
Polypharmacy is the concurrent use of multiple medications by a patient, most common in the elderly. Over 76% of seniors take two or more prescriptions on a regular basis. Polypharmacy been suggested to increase the risk for fall in several ways; increased risk for inappropriate medications (i.e. fall risk inducing drugs), increased risk of side-effects and interactions between medications, and also that compiance to prescription might decrease with increased number of prescribed medications.