Nobody Wants to Be the Fall Guy (or Gal)

And most hardware stores stock products that can help prevent slips, trips and falls

Left, 10 chocolate layer cakes before they come crashing down. Right, Dick Van Dyke trips and flips over an ottoman.

When I was a member of the “Sesame Street” set, one of my favorite bits was when a chef carrying armloads of baked goods fell down a long staircase, smashing all of his cakes. Then, as I got older, I loved watching Dick Van Dyke Show reruns, when the comedian tripped and fell over an ottoman in the opening credits.

Well, times have changed. Although I am somehow able to remain the same age, my friends and family members are getting older. And the thought of falls isn’t as funny to me anymore.

The Centers for Disease Control last year released some sobering statistics about falls among older adults.

• More than one out of four older people falls each year, but less than half tell their doctor.

• Falling once doubles your chances of falling again.

• While not all falls result in an injury, about 37% of those who fall reported an injury that required medical treatment or restricted their activity for at least one day.

• Each year, there are about 3 million emergency department visits due to older people falls.

I have two aging aunts who recently fell. One of them actually fell twice within a three month period, and each time she had to go to the emergency room. My other aunt didn’t have to go to the ER, but she did wryly remark, “I found that concrete is harder than it used to be.”

(It’s not just older adults who fall. In fact, falls are the leading cause of nonfatal injuries among children aged 0–14 years in the United States, leading to approximately 2 million emergency room visits and over 30,000 hospitalizations each year, according to the CDC. Falling out of bed is the most commonly reported type of fall among infants, toddlers and preschoolers.)

Among seniors, the cause of many falls are health related and should be addressed by a health-care professional. But other types of falls are mostly preventable with items that are readily available at the hardware store:

• Non-slip mats, especially in the kitchen and bathrooms, where water can make floors slippery.

• Rug pads or double-sided carpet tape to keep rugs in place. Pay special attention to the corners and edges, which can catch on your toe as you pass.

• Grab bars in the bathroom and handrails on landings or anywhere there’s a change in elevation.

• Brighter lighting, night lights and path lighting to eliminate dark patches. Light switches that are easily accessible.

• Electrical cords that lie on the the floor, ideally along a baseboard, and not suspended in the air. The cords should be secured with an approved cord cover to eliminate the tripping hazard.

• Textured treads affixed to wood or tile steps improve footing.

Finally, there are all kinds of alert bracelets and pendants that will notify emergency services of a fall. Reducing the time it takes to get treatment might very well save someone’s life.

Life-alert services brings me back to all of the jokes in pop-culture about people falling. I remember when late-night comedians were all riffing on the infomercial catch phrase, “HELP! I’ve fallen, and I can’t get up!”

I’m not laughing anymore.