Take The Family Safety Week Pledge To Help Older People Stay On Their Feet, Urges RoSPA
31 Mar 2014 12:40 PM
RoSPA is using the final day of its first-ever
Family Safety Week to inspire the nation to take practical action to keep older
friends and relatives from falling.
While the consequences of a slip, trip or fall are minor
in many cases, for older people particularly, the consequences can be serious
and life-changing.
In
2012, 4,674 people died as a result of a fall in the UK, of whom 85 per cent
were over the age of 65. What’s more, in England in 2012/13, more than
410,000 people were admitted to hospital following a fall.
Simple tips to prevent falls include:
- Removing tripping hazards from the floor, such as
clutter, electrical cords and wires
- Providing adequate lighting throughout the house but
particularly on stairways and in halls
- Using a bedside lamp for when you get up during the
night Using a non-slip bath mat and wiping up any spills
immediately
- Taking exercise classes that improve balance and
strength Wearing shoes and slippers that fit properly and are
sturdy
- Getting medication checked every six months by your GP
or pharmacist, as people are far more likely to be at risk if they take four or
more types of medication per day
- Having a plan in place to alert friends, family or
emergency services.
The
Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) has produced two films to provide guidance, Facing up to falls(which includes a subtitled version)
and How to get up safely after a
fall.
Family Safety Week was launched by Martin Roberts, the
star of BBC1's Homes Under the Hammer, in Birmingham, on
Monday.
Founded by the UK’s top safety charity, the week
reaches its conclusion today. Each day has had a different theme: looking
around the home from a child’s point of view; learning to swim; helping
learner drivers; becoming safer drivers at work; and, today, falls prevention.
Advice and information on all of these subjects is available atwww.familysafetyweek.org.uk.
People can still get involved in Family Safety Week
by:
- Taking the Pledge: “This Family Safety Week, I pledge to take
steps to prevent myself, or a loved one, from falling”
- Taking part in the online National Accident Survey. This will give a much-needed snapshot of how
accidents affect families and the help they need to prevent
them
- Sharing safety advice with friends, family and colleagues via
social media, and downloading a Twibbon to show support on
Twitter
- Hosting a safety session that focuses on one (or more)
of the week’s themes.
Sheila Merrill, RoSPA's public health adviser, said:
“Every year, falls kill thousands of people and leave many more with
life-changing injuries.
“A lot of older people never fully recover from
either the physical or psychological impact of a fall. We know that risk
increases with age, and that half of older people cannot live independently
after suffering a fracture. The cost to the individuals, their families and
society is enormous.
“By encouraging people to take the Family Safety
Week pledge, and by providing lots of simple, practical advice, we can help to
ensure that the ones we love stay healthy and happy - and safely on their
feet.”
Accidents are the UK's biggest killer of children
and the leading cause of death up to the age of 39. They are the top cause of
early, preventable death for most of our lives. They are also responsible for
millions of injuries every year, placing an unbearable strain on families, the
NHS and employers.
RoSPA has been at the heart of accident prevention for
almost 100 years. It exists to save lives and reduce injuries in the home, on
the roads, during leisure, at work and in schools and
colleges.
This year’s Family Safety Week is sponsored by
Royal Mail.
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