Jimmy Carter, 95, falls, recovering from fractured pelvis; 50 million seniors in U.S. fall each year

For the second time this month, the oldest living U.S. President is recovering from a serious fall.  
 
The 95-year-old Jimmy Carter is recovering from a fractured pelvis. He is one of 50 million seniors living in our nation right now – and the CDC says one out of four of these seniors experience some sort of fall every year.

This is why local experts with Visiting Angels, the nation’s leading provider of in-home care, work daily to educate seniors and their loved ones in your community about how to keep grandma and grandpa from tripping and falling while navigating through the rooms and hallways of the family home.  
 
Consider this
 
▪ More than half of falls happen either inside or near the home.

▪ Hip fractures, like President Carter’s injury, are the most common injury caused by falls.

▪ People who fall once are more likely to fall again.  The good news is most falls are preventable.
 
Visiting Angels caregivers know the steps families can take to prevent their loved one from getting hurt.  They‘ve created a program called Safe & Steady to keep local seniors secure in the place they love the most, their home.

Ask your doc about the drugs mom is taking.  If she is on multiple meds, there are chance interactions could cause her to get dizzy or lose their balance.

• SAFETY INSPECTION.

Walk through grandma’s house and look for tripping hazards, like electrical cords, throw rugs, pet bowls, stacks of magazines or other clutter.   Visiting Angels caregivers use a checklist when they go into homes to help families assess potential risks and correct them.

• REORGANIZE FOR EASY ACCESS. 

Whether it is in the kitchen or the bathroom or the living room, make sure anything grandpop uses on a daily basis is easy to reach. Move things like dishes, laundry detergent or towels to lower shelves or cabinets. No step stools allowed!
   
• STEADY THE STAIRS. 

Any stairwell whether small or large should be checked out closely.  Make sure handrails are tight, install new ones, if necessary.   Add a strip of reflective tape to the edge of each step to make each step is visible.

• LIGHT UP THE PLACE.

Keep the home well lit. This might require you adding night lights to bedrooms, bathrooms, hallway or stairwell. Dark rooms increase the likelihood of a fall. Always keep a flashlight at your bedside for emergencies.

• SCHEDULE AN EYE EXAM.  Just the slightest change in vision could make grandma unsteady. Get her vision checked out at least once a year.
 
Visiting Angels