Her father fell down the stairs. She wants other families to fall-proof seniors’ homes.
My recent column raising awareness about the dangers of seniors falling at home hit home for Carla Green.
Her 88-year-old father, Carl Kedl, died last month after falling down the basement stairs of his residence near Lancaster.
She agreed to share her heartbreaking story with me in the hope that by continuing to highlight this common problem, other families might be spared from a similar tragedy.
“It was not a really good staircase,” said Green, of Walnutport. “We never even gave it a thought to look at the stairs or anything like that. People should pay attention. Go through the house and give some thought to what could happen.”
Green told me her father was a “good” 88. He celebrated his birthday at the beach and took frequent walks. Wanting to stay active, he worked until about a year ago at Wegmans in Lancaster.
“He was the total Energizer bunny,” she said.
He was aware of the dangers of falling, telling Green that when he went on his walks, he would look down to watch for uneven sidewalks.
“So he was cognizant of falling when he was outside,” Green told me. “But he didn’t give it a thought, and neither did I, of doing stuff in the house.”
She shouldn’t blame herself, and neither should others in her situation.
As I said in my previous column, preventing falls can be challenging. About one of every four older adults in Pennsylvania has fallen, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
If you missed that column, I shared that falls are the leading cause of accidental death in Lehigh County. Through the end of October, there had been 183 fatal falls, the overwhelming majority of them elderly people, most of whom fell at home while they were alone.
I highlighted the problem after seeing the Lehigh County coroner had investigated the deaths of six senior citizens from falls over
a 10-day period.
There unfortunately have been other fatal falls in the Lehigh Valley since then. Most recently, an 89-year-old man from Weisenberg Township died at a hospital on Saturday from complications of injuries he suffered in a fall a month earlier.
Green said her father didn’t think of himself as old and didn’t like talking about his health because it made him feel old.
That’s part of what makes addressing the dangers of falls so challenging. Some older people may not want to have the discussion. Green urges people to be persistent to make sure the discussion happens.
“I hope your article stirs some folks to wake up and realize there’s some things they could do to help their friends and relatives live more safely,” she told me.
Green, who is 66, told me she decided to elder proof her own shower as a start.
She offered a tip to help people prevent falls, which she got from a friend who is a physical therapist. She said older people who
wrap themselves in blankets to stay warm should be careful about how they discard the blanket when they get up from their seat. Don’t just drop it at your feet where it can be tripped over. Set it to the side.
I heard from a few others who offered advice, too. Ron Pizarie, 81, of East Allen Township warned against shuffling your feet when you walk.
He broke his femur four years ago when a ladder fell as he was putting up Christmas lights. He went through about six months of vigorous therapy.
“In therapy, I had to, in effect, learn to walk again,” Pizarie told me. “The therapists kept harping ‘Heel to toe, heel to toe,’ incessantly until I unconsciously placed my heel down first and then my toe.
“One therapist explained to me that he felt the most common cause of seniors falling is that they don’t walk properly, heel first and then toe. What they tend to do is shuffle their feet along, which causes their falls in most cases. Shuffling your feet, or
sliding your feet on their soles, exposes you to trip on a simple ripple in a carpet, for instance.”
Pizarie told me he had to practice for a long time until that became automatic.
Another reader told me she has attended seminars on fall prevention and it’s important to know the potential side effects of medication, which can include dizziness.
Wearing shoes that are too big or pants that are baggy and drag on the floor can be dangerous, she said.
Repeating from my previous column, here are tips from AARP, Lehigh County and other sources about how to prevent falls.
Make sure indoor and outdoor steps have a railing. Attach blue painter’s tape to the edge of steps so they stand out. Consider building a ramp to replace exterior steps.
Fix uneven walkways and steps inside and outside your home.
Install a higher toilet or a seat extender, which are better for people with arthritis or knee
problems. Install grab bars near the shower, tub and toilet.
Remove throw rugs that are easy to trip over. If you must have a rug in the bathroom, make sure it has a no-slip bottom. Use colorful rugs that are easily noticed.
Learn how to properly use a cane or walker.
Keep floors and walkways clear of clutter, including extension cords and unnecessary furnishings.
Make sure you have good lighting. Use nightlights. Supplement darker areas by opening blinds to let sunlight in during the day.
Have regular vision tests. If you are prescribed glasses, wear them all the time, including if you get up at night to use the bathroom.
Know where your pets are. Many people trip over their dog, or their dog’s toys.
Exercise regularly. Exercise can improve balance, coordination and strength.