Avoiding falls? – Important measures to prevent falls

Fall prevention: Falls are one of the most common causes of accidents in Germany. Every year, more than 600,000 people fall in Germany. According to the Federal Statistical Office, in 2015 alone, 12,867 people died from a fall. Especially as they get older, affected individuals often injure themselves severely. The German Medical Association of North Rhine estimates that approximately 80 percent of all individuals over 80 years old and approximately 30 percent of all individuals over 65 years old fall in their own homes each year. The consequences of a fall are often diverse and serious. They lead to lengthy hospital stays, often followed by admission to a nursing home.

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Fall prevention through sports

Through a well-trained sense of balance, falls can usually be prevented in order to minimize the consequences of the fall. Here you will find tips for balance training. However, in people with movement restrictions, the sense of balance is often affected and the muscles may not be sufficiently developed. In these cases, the consequences can be very serious. This makes fall prevention essential.

Intrinsic and extrinsic causes of falls

The causes of falls differ in environmental and personal causes.

Environment-related causes of falls

  • Poor lighting
  • Uneven ground
  • Smooth surface
  • Use of inappropriate mobility aids
  • carpet edges
  • (loose) cable
  • Wet underground
  • Missing handrail (on both sides)
  • Too long and loose clothing
  • No fixed footwear
  • Items on the stairs/on the floor

Personal causes of falls

  • Balance disorders or dizziness
  • Muscle weakness/lack of strength
  • Gait insecurity
  • lack of exercise
  • Reduced vision and hearing.
  • Taking medication
  • Fear of falling due to previous falls
  • Diseases of the musculoskeletal system (osteoporosis, arthritis, disc degeneration, etc.)
  • Joint pain
  • Neurological diseases (Multiple Sclerosis, Epilepsy, Infantile Cerebral Palsy, Polyneuropathy, Parkinson’s, Stroke, etc.)

Stair falls and fall prevention

A significant portion of falls occur on stairs, and these falls in particular can have serious consequences. In 2013, there were around 4000 deaths due to falls on stairs. Often, a stair fall happens due to a lack of safety awareness or rushing up the stairs too quickly.

Guidelines for fall prevention in everyday life

Therefore, we have compiled a series of guidelines that should be followed to ensure safe use of the stairs and actively engage in fall prevention.

  • Always walk up the stairs with concentration, mindfulness, and calmness.
  • Always use the handrail, if available even both handrails.
  • Make sure that no objects are left on the stairs.
  • Wear sturdy and slip-resistant footwear.
  • Make sure you have a clear view and do not walk up the stairs while they are fully packed.
  • Do not wear loose clothing that could cause you to slip or get caught on the railing.

What consequences can a fall bring?

Whether in seniors or people with disabilities – a fall often results in the fear of falling again. This can in turn lead to less activity and poorer body balance.
Physical consequences are usually bruises, sprains, fractures, lacerations, and hematomas.

The most well-known fractures are thigh and hip fractures, which require a lengthy and arduous rehabilitation.

However, stair falls also bring psychological consequences. The fear of future falls, for example. By avoiding stairs, the affected person is often “trapped” in their own home and isolates themselves from their social network.

If this fear is not treated, it can develop into social isolation or depression. Due to social isolation and limited mobility, many affected individuals lose their self-confidence and trust in their own abilities.

At the same time, independence diminishes more and more. In the worst case, this can lead to the need for care.

Seniorenhand

Fall prevention: What safety guidelines should one consider when climbing stairs?

  • Concentrated, mindful, and calm walking up the stairs.
  • Use handrails
  • Do not leave any objects on the stairs.
  • Wear sturdy and non-slip footwear.
  • have a clear view when climbing stairs
  • Do not climb the stairs fully packed.
  • Do not wear loose clothing.

What can one do in their own home to ensure safe use of stairs?

Fall prevention at home

For the safety of using stairs, essential requirements of the European Construction Products Directive apply.

These guidelines include:

  • a comfortable stair climb with sufficient step size.
    non-slip step and platform design.
  • good exposure and lighting of the entire staircase system
  • as well as non-slip and stable handrails on the railing.
  • For fall prevention, there are a variety of aids available.

These make walking on stairs safer and help to avoid stair fall accidents as much as possible.

Fall prevention on stairs

A stair walking aid developed in Norway now offers the necessary support and safety that the person needs when climbing stairs.

The TOPRO Step stair walker is a cost-effective alternative to a stair lift and mobilizes the person instead of making them passive. This way, the person actively trains stair climbing and improves safety when walking on stairs.

This ensures safer stair climbing even outside of one’s own home and helps prevent future falls. The installation of the TOPRO Step can be done quickly, as no permits or electrical connections are required. The system is modular and can be installed on almost all types of stairs.

Depending on your place of residence and country, you may be entitled to a subsidy from your insurance company or the state. Please check the requirements on your own.

Falls and especially stair falls should not be taken lightly. Do you want to make your stairs safe and practice fall prevention for yourself? Then the above guidelines for safety on stairs apply.

We also recommend the use of aids to secure the stairs. Another important point for people with gait insecurity is to maintain and build their mobility and strength to ensure and train gait safety.

Informationen zur Assistep Treppensteighilfe KostenĂĽbernahme
Treppenrollator TOPRO Step

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