Watch your step

Prevent falls while stuck at home

Afew months ago, my 13-yearold son tried dribbling past me toward our driveway bas- ketball hoop. I made it easy for him when my foot caught on the rough concrete: I took a hard fall. In addition to basketball, he received an unfortunate lesson in Common American Utterances spoken at a time of acute pain. The soreness persisted for a week or so, but no great damage occurred.

Recently the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a study showing that in the 10 years from 2008 to 2017, the number of traumatic brain injury deaths caused by falls increased by 17 percent, a substantial increase. Rural older Americans were most at risk, including here in Arkansas. Each year 3 million older Americans end up in the emergency room because of a fall; 800,000 are hospitalized, including 300,000 admitted for a hip fracture.

In the past year I have had some close calls. At my wife’s urging we took on a third dog, this one a small English cocker. He is gray with black spots, perfectly camouflaged for middle-of-the-night tripping incidents. If I had better life insurance, I would be suspicious of my wife’s intentions. And I am very much aware of how dark our stairway is at night. We keep the lights off to help our four boys sleep, probably not the smartest decision.

And for many older people, symptoms of vertigo can unexpectedly interfere with reliable balance. Recently, not long after a day or two of vertigo, for some reason I thought it was important for me to sweep pine needles off our roof. Older men are at increased risk for these incidents related to chores involving roofs and ladders, not a surprise to the many older women who watch in disbelief.

Ask yourself some initial questions, and honestly answer them. Have I fallen before? Do I sometimes feel unsteady on my feet? Do I worry about falling? A good source of information to help you with these concerns is the CDC. The CDC website, in addition to updates on covid-19, has helpful and practical information on preventing falls. The program is called STEADI, “Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths, and Injuries” (tinyurl.com/cdcsteadi).

Here are some things to consider. Talk with your doctor about fall prevention. Do any of your medicines put you at risk? Some medicines can cause light-headedness on standing, and some pain or sleep medicines cause confusion during the night. Would you benefit from Vitamin D? Does your doctor have suggestions regarding strength and balance exercises? Is your footwear in good shape? Getting an annual eye exam is also important.

Does your home need some improvements? Do you have grab bars by the toilet and in the bath or shower? Has someone systematically checked all the rooms, including outside, for tripping risks such as loose carpets or bad wood on stairs? Do you have good lighting in all rooms, particularly on the usual nighttime path to the bathroom? Pets can be a risk. Is it time to kennel the pets at bedtime?

All of us are now spending more time at home because our home is our sanctuary. It needs to be safe.