Over the years, numerous studies have been conducted on the amount of elderly falls that take place within a home, but not as much research has been conducted to study how often or how to reduce falls in the great outdoors. In a home the most common Fall places are well known and there are several ways to try and prevent falls with key items such as grasp bars in the bathroom or medical alert systems for the house. However, for outdoor falls, there are different risky places and other ways stop or prevent injury or untimely falls. In the past we’ve written about how to best prevent falls in your home, but we felt it necessary to discuss preventing and awareness for falls while outside of your home as well.

Hard Facts

Falling is the leading reason of hospital admissions for adults over the age of 65 and is also the main cause of injury-related deaths amongst the elderly. Very year, one third of the American elderly population reports falling within their home or outdoors and in a recent study of adults over the age 45, it was found that contrary to popular belief, most elderly falls take place outdoors. As we age, walking becomes the preferred way of exercise and nearly 50% of all outdoor falls are related to outdoor walking activity. In fact, 73% of outdoor falls were triggered by uneven sidewalk surfaces, curbs, the street and slipping, all of which are obstacles faced when going for daily walks. The study also found that those in good health had high risks for falling outdoors while walking or exercising and those elderly with poorer health had greater risks for indoor falling. With more and more emphasis being put on healthy and active elderly adults, the chances of outdoor falls continue to increase. To remain active and prevent falls, we’ve created a list of things to do while waking outdoors.

Outdoor Fall Prevention

There are several ways to remain active and healthy as we age while still being mindful of potential fall situations.

1. While it may seem like common sense, many adults neglect to use handrails when walking on stairs or getting onto escalators. By using the handrails, it can prevent falls during icy weather conditions as well as summer ones.
2. Walk on grass if sidewalks or roads appear to be slippery or uneven. Grassy areas can provide more traction and solid footing.
3. Look at the floors of buildings and public areas. Polished titles can be slick and uneven concrete can increase the chance of falling. Stay on carpeted or grassy areas when possible.
4. Wear steady and low-heeled shoes for better balance. Walking with shoes that have rubber soles also provide more traction and decrease the opportunity for falling.
5. Walk in groups to point out uneven ground, slippery surfaces or lifted sidewalks. The more pairs of eyes on the lookout, the better. Plus exercising is more fun with friends.
6. Hold hands with others while stepping onto curbs or up steps. This can provide more stability and help prevent an outdoor fall.
7. Take a walker or cane. Walking is good exercise, but safety should be a priority, so if you need a walker or cane for added balance, take it with you.
8. Leave the light on. If you are going for an evening stroll, prevent falling by leaving an outdoor light on so you can see when you return from your walk.
9. Hire or ask someone to help you keep your yard and walkways clear of slipper items such as ice, leaves, trash or even cluttered deck chairs.
10. Install handrails in areas outdoors that you walk often. If you have a prize garden, you can still take care of it by adding handrails for balance.
11. Cover well walked areas such as porches and steps with weather proof and textured paint. This provides more traction and prevents outdoor falls around the home.
12. If you must carry a handbag or purse, keep it hands free by using a fanny pack or an over the shoulder bag. This allows you to catch yourself should you fall.
13. Wear hip pads and protectors while walking to ensure the utmost protection of bones should a fall occur.
14. Check the height of curbs and steps before stepping up or down from them. Curbs with inclines or cut-aways for bikes can be misleading and cause falls and by measuring the distance of the step down you can have better balance.
15. If walking in the evening, walk in well-lit areas to provide the most visibility for hazards.
16. Wear sunglasses and correct eyewear. Reading glasses or bifocals can mislead wearers about potential hazards. Also glare from the sun can hide areas which can lead to falls. By wearing the proper glasses and using sunglass protection you can ensure you reduce the risk of falling and injuring yourself.

Preventing Falls

Outdoor activities can pose a number of threats for falling but by following the 16 tips above, you can still enjoy outdoor leisurely activities such as walking. To read about preventing falls in the home, please feel free to check out our previous blogs and hopefully we have helped you take the proper steps to protect yourself from falling within a home or in the outdoors.

Written by Amy Trenton