ROGERS — A loose handrail, a flopping rug, an unsteady step stool can all cause a fall.
This month those problems are the target of the Rogers Fire Department which has declared January Fall Injury Prevention Month, said Travis Hollis, battalion chief.
Car wrecks and heart attacks are common calls for the department, but are difficult to counteract before they happen, Hollis said. Limiting hazards can reduce the number of calls they get and keep residents safer, he said.
“It’s something we can prevent,” he said.
At A Glance
Home Hazard Checklist
• Does furniture block the path through a room?
• Are there cords or wires across the floor?
• Are there throw rugs on the floor or carpet with loose ends?
• Is there clutter such as books, papers or shoes, in the floor or on stairs?
• Are stairs and hallways well lit?
• Are there handrails for stairs and in the tub area?
Source: Staff Report
Rogers ambulances transported 525 people as a result of fall injuries last year. Centers for Disease Control data suggests one in three adults older than 65 will fall each year. Using 2010 Census data, Hollis estimated 1,925 senior adults in Rogers will fall this year.
“We’d much rather take care of it on the front side,” he said.
Falls can cause bruising and cuts, but also broken bones. The saddest cases are when an individual lives alone, falls and has no one to call for help, Hollis said.
To limit falls, the Centers for Disease Control recommends older adults exercise regularly, keep eyeglass prescriptions current and ask doctors about medications with dizziness as a side effect. The agency also suggests homes can be made safer by reducing trip hazards, adding grab bars in tub and toilet areas, railings in stairways and installing better lighting.
Rogers Fire Department staff will conduct home audits this month to help people evaluate fall risks.
Some items, like a missing light bulb or loose handrail, firefighters can fix, Hollis said. If furniture is arranged so wires or cords are across the room, firefighters can move it closer to a wall.
Extension cords taped to the floor can build up heat and traffic on them can break down fibers causing a fire hazard, Hollis said.
For other issues, electrical problems or lack of handrails, firefighters may recommend a fix. The department sees a lot of falls from people trying to get up from the tub or the toilet, Hollis said. Handrails would be an improvement.
In the past month Warren Fields, 70, installed a support rail in the bathroom.
An Adult Wellness Center member, he is fit, Fields said, but he worries about his wife and his mother.
Even climbing a few steps can be difficult for someone with arthritis, he said.
Healthy choices can make people feel better, Fields said, and, like the Centers for Disease Control, he advocates for exercise.
“If you’re physically strong you’re less apt to fall and less likely to hurt yourself if you do,” he said.
Falls are the leading cause of nonfatal injuries for almost every age group, according to 2011 Centers for Disease Control data. A total of 2,403,146 people over the age of 65 suffered a nonfatal fall in 2011 with 205,202 men and 422,339 women hospitalized as a result of their injuries.
Most of the trip hazards in his home are gone, Fields said. Finding what to change isn’t hard.
“You trip on it a few times and you fix it,” he said.
Members of the Rogers Fire Department prevention division will visit homes during January to assess and eliminate fall danger. To schedule an appointment call 479-621-1179.