How can you possibly prevent the number one accident in the household? Preventative measures are the answer. Make some adjustments to your house. But what type of adjustments do you need to complete? What are you trying to help prevent?
If you want to answer those questions, and take action to help prevent them, you need to know what the most common household accident is. No matter what part of the world that you check statistics for, the leader is always the same. Falls are the number one accident that happens within the home, especially when you are talking about children and the elderly. Rospa states that in the UK 6,000 people die every year at home due to falls, and around 2.7 million people will visit the emergency room, or their doctor’s office, because of this type of accident.
You may think that there is no way to prevent an accident. It is an accident after all. You would be correct in thinking that you can not stop an accident from happening. But you can take some steps to substantially lower the chance of it occurring.
1. Railings
There should always be usable railings along any type of stairway. Interior ones that allow access to various levels of the home, as well as any stairs that are present outside of the house, such as when exiting a porch out into the yard. Other places can have railings installed as well. Bathroom toilets and bathtubs are good places to install a rail that can help people get up, or balance while they wash up. Bed rails can also be installed to prevent anyone from falling out of bed in the middle of the night.
2. Blockades
Baby gates are necessary to prevent accidental trips on the top of a set of stairs. Tumbles down a flight or two of stairs can cause some severe damage to someone. It could even cause disabilities, or death. A simple gate placed strategically around your stairs can help prevent this type of household accident.
3. Clutter
One main issue that can be found in most houses is clutter. Clothes thrown around, animal beds in the middle of the floor, cords that are loose running to electronics across the room, rugs that are placed around the house for visual appeal, and warmth. Private health insurance companies recommend that you put nonskid strips on rugs to hold them in place, and to keep everything picked up, or secured to the walls.
4. Lighting
You are constantly hammered with “turn off the lights.” In this case, though, you need to have the lights on in any room where a child or elderly person, hangs out in. The lights should be bright and placed correctly to allow easy movement. Outside lights should be security types so that if someone goes out a light will show them the way. And if the person, or child, goes outside when they are not supposed to, an outdoor light will allow you to know that someone is there. Obviously, outside lights only work at night, but that is the time when it is hardest to see, especially if the person has poor vision.
If you want to prevent the number one household injury in the world you need to be proactive. Make changes to your house, inside and out, to help prevent falls from happening. Tell everyone in your household to slow down and pay attention to what they are doing. If you have toddlers in the house, or your spouse that has issues getting around, you need to keep an eye on them throughout the day. You may even want to invest in a baby monitor to use at night. Take every step that you can to prevent a fall from happening in your house.
Article Submitted By Community Writer
