Note: You will need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the print brochure file. To download the Reader, click here.
For more information, please contact:
Fall Prevention Tips
The SCOOTER Store
As America's leading provider of power mobility solutions, The SCOOTER Store understands the importance of prevention. The company dedicated a page of its public website to resources for fall prevention.
National Council on Aging (NCOA)
Falls Free: Promoting a National Falls Prevention Action Plan
- Falls Free: National Action Plan (PDF
579K)
o Ask your healthcare provider to review medications you are taking.
o Have your vision checked.
o Exercise and physical therapy can be effective measures to help reduce falls in older adults.
o Elimination of hazardous conditions (e.g., clutter, poor lighting) and the addition of supportive features (e.g. grab bars, handrails) in locations such as stairs and bathrooms are important strategies in falls prevention.
Alliance for Aging Research
Independence for Older Americans: An Investment in Our Nation’s Future
- Online Brochure
- The greatest contributors to lost independence are:
o visual impairment
o dementia
o mental impairment
o mobility impairment
o incontinence - Preventive measures have the potential to eliminate some conditions that affect older people, or at least delay their onset. More details here: http://www.thescooterstore.com/physicians/fall_prevention.aspx
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
To gain a better understanding of which interventions may be beneficial in the Medicare population, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), as part of its Healthy Aging Project, commissioned an evidence-based systematic review of interventions in the prevention of falls, the results of which are detailed in this report.
- Are falls prevention programs effective? What are the key components that should be included in a falls prevention intervention? Are multi-factorial approaches more effective than single intervention approaches?
- Are public information or education campaigns alone effective in reducing or preventing falls?
- Which care settings/approaches have been more effective than others for the delivery of falls prevention interventions? Which providers should deliver this service?
- What are the key issues in sustaining falls prevention programs?
For more information, click here (PDF)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Statement by David W. Fleming, M.D., Acting Director, CDC, June 11, 2002:
- Falls Among Older Americans: CDC Prevention Efforts
- Sixty percent of older adults fall in their own home. So it makes sense to make the home safer, in particular an older adults ability to enter and exit the home, and to move around safely within the home. Installing stair railings, ramps, and grab bars (such as in the bathroom) are simple but effective modifications. These are most successful when combined with other interventions (such as exercise and medication review).
National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC)
Older adults can take several steps to protect their independence and reduce their risk of falling. They can:
- Exercise regularly; exercise programs like Tai Chi that increase strength and improve balance are especially good.
- Ask their doctor or pharmacist to review their medicines–both prescription and over-the counter–to reduce side effects and interactions.
- Have their eyes checked by an eye doctor at least once a year.
- Improve the lighting in their home.
- Reduce hazards in their home that can lead to falls.
Toolkit to Prevent Falls
More Information
The Annals of Internal Medicine, in a March 16, 2010 article entitled, "Meta-analysis: Excess Mortality After Hip Fracture Among Older Women and Men," discovered that "[o]lder adults have a 5- to 8-fold increased risk for all-cause mortality during the first 3 months after hip fracture."
Falls are a leading cause of injury for elderly adults and can lead to health issues that require hospitalization or treatment in long-term care or assisted-living facilities. At The SCOOTER Store, we are passionate about keeping our customers and loved ones independent in their homes as long as possible. The best way to do this is to prevent falls in the first place. Power mobility can reduce the risk of falls and help keep yourself or your loved ones safe.
