Avoiding falls in and around the home‎

falls

By Doug Lagoon

It's a fact that the majority of injuries from falls occur in the home. Many of these are preventable and there are a range of products that can help minimise the risk of falls; especially for the elderly or disabled.

At home or at workplace, the risk of falls can further be reduced by installing Grab Rails which are the most effective solution so far. They range from bathroom rails, toilet rails and shower support rails to bed rails and hand rails for the front or back door steps. Interestingly, Grab Rails are equally cost-effective too. The only downside of Grab Rails is that it become a permanent fixture and cannot become a support between the rooms. However, this drawback of Grab Rails can be compensated by using a mobility walker.

As the name suggests, these Mobility Walkers and Walking Frames are mobile supports that can be used at home as well as around the house. The built-in seat makes them even more comfortable. The brake in the walker helps to lock it anywhere. Thus they are very dependable when you want them to be stable and locked. Moving to and from the walker is also very convenient since the seat is usually adjustable. Every walker model has a different kind of seat, so please make sure that the user is comfortable with the seating style. A lot of Mobility Walkers become even more useful since they have a small storage compartment that is very convenient for carrying personal belongings or few items from the shop.

It has been observed that usually people fall when they are transitioning from standing to sitting or vice-versa. Thus, a support is inevitable to ensure that this transition happens smoothly to avoid any injury. This support can be provided by using a Chair raiser which is specifically designed to raise the height of the chair to such comfortable level. While selecting the chair raiser, one has to make it very certain that it fits the chair perfectly and makes it stable after the raiser is installed. Usually raisers can be adjusted to fit to any size of chair.

Elderly or disabled persons often get injured by falling when moving from a bed to a standing position. Such fall or injury can easily be avoided by providing them a bed which has a considerable height. A bed that is extremely low makes it very difficult for them move in and out of it without any support. To make this transition comfortable and safe, you can install a bed pole or bed lever which can get fixed firmly under the mattress so they can hold it when needed. Even a small Grab Rail can also provide the same convenience.

Many falls and injuries that occur in the home can be avoided by planning the layout of the home around someone's disability and the range of mobility and occupational aids on the market can help with this. Before making a purchase, talk to a mobility products supplier about finding the most suitable products for your situation. They may be able to help you with having a product custom made to your requirements if there isn't currently a stock product that meets your needs.