Are you at high risk for falling? Is your home safe, so you can avoid accident and injury?
Falls are not only the leading cause of injury (both non-fatal and fatal) in older adults, they are a frequent cause of early nursing home placement. Fall risk depends on a number of health and personal factors, as well as environmental factors. By assessing your fall risk, you can take steps to mitigate the risk and reduce the chance of injury. When your loved one wants to remain independent and age-in-place at home, taking a look at fall risk is vital!
Take this quick quiz to get an idea of your fall risk level.
- Are you on multiple medications?
- Have you had a fall in the past?
- Do you have multiple health conditions?
- Do you wear glasses or contacts?
- Do you see more than 3 doctors?
- Do you drink alcohol?
- Do you walk in bare feet or socks in your home?
- Does your home have rugs?
- Do you have stairs in your home, or to get into the home?
- Do you lighting for when you get up at night?
- Do you have grab bars installed in the bathroom?
- Do you participate in physical activity on most days of the week?
- Have you had your hearing and eyesight checked within the last year?
- Could your navigate easily through the rooms in your home (are there unobstructed paths in all the used areas)?
Scoring: Count the # of “yes” answers for questions 1-9 and the # of “no” answers for questions 10-14. The higher your score, the higher your fall risk is. Even a relatively low number indicates some areas that could increase you risk for falling that should be addressed.
Check out our Fall Prevention Checklist for a more complete review of the home environment and consider a customized fall risk assessment and home safety check from one of our care managers.
Contact us at 727-447-5845 for help with aging-in-place safety and support!
