HOUSTON – Dr. Korsh Jafarnia, an orthopedic surgeon with UT Hhealth / Memorial Hermann, said people 65 years old and older are most at risk for falls.
Jafarnia gave KPRC a look inside his home to show the spots most frequently to blame for head, wrist and hip fractures, and offered tips on how to protect your loved ones.
1. Place mats inside and outside of entryways.
Jafarnia said mats to prevent slipping when guests arrive is easy, but they need to be secured. He placed double-sided adhesive grips on all four corners of the bottom of the rug.
The biggest danger is when people walk inside with wet feet and fall on hard floors, or when they walk outside and fall on wet pavement.
2. Loose rugs and corners of carpets are to blame for slipping and sliding inside.
Jafarnia said rugs and carpets throughout your home are another big reason that one in three people over 65 fall every year.
Most frequently, the falls lead to wrist, head and hip injuries that often never fully heal.
"Fifty percent have to use a cane or walker afterwards, but the important statistic is after a fall, it's very severe and debilitating for the family,” Jafarnia said. “Forty percent go into nursing homes after hip fractures."
3. Lighting is critical near beds, on walkways and especially staircases.
“We have the lights along the sides of the stairs here but also nightlights in case those aren't on,” Jafarnia said.
He explained why well-lit places should still be equipped with nightlights.
“One is shooting down the stairs, another one is shooting up," he said.
4. Stock up on these supplies.
Jafarnia said the most important thing for elderly patients is to have a medical alert device to wear on a necklace or bracelet.
Even if your loved ones carry cellphones, Jafarnia warned that they’d easily drop phones if they fell.
He also recommends double-sided adhesive grips to help stabilize rugs and mats, and recommends adding weather-proof grips to outside, wet surfaces.
He also said that having a shoehorn will help older patients who struggle to reach their feet.
"One cause of their falls is bending over too far or getting in too low of a position, such as when they want to put their shoes on," Jafarnia said.